VL - Issue 15 - February 2015

PERSPECTIVE continued from page 13
recovery. Every day was torture for him, and though I was not feeling his exact
physical pain, I felt the devastation of wishing I could change it for him.
Watching the love of your life scream and weep in pain is nothing short of
horrendous. Though the circumstances were dreadful, however, somehow we
both felt God’s love and care throughout. He revealed His presence to us through
answered prayers for Matt’s healing, through encouraging words from others
that came at the exact moment we needed them, and through the peace that He
provided us.
“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in
spirit. The righteous person may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from
them all” (Psalm 34:18–19 NIV).
Brokenhearted is exactly how I felt, and troubles certainly abounded. Yet just as
this verse promised, God was close to me and kept me from being crushed by the
weight of this trial. I clung to the hope that Matt was going to be delivered from
every trouble he faced.
God was the only One who gave me a different viewpoint on our circumstances.
His perspective helped me stand against the emotions that could have easily swirled
me into a tornado of despair. When I did allow myself to focus on the horrific
realities we were facing, I found myself slipping into a very dark place of sadness.
But when I pressed into God and focused on the blessings He was bringing amidst
the suffering, I was able to find hope and strength to get through that day.
God offers us an eternity with Him that is free of suffering, but never did He say
that life on earth would be painless. The world we know is filled with hardship, but
God comes alongside of us, lovingly cares for us in the trials, and promises that our
sufferings are not forever.
“For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that
far outweighs them all” (2 Corinthians 4:17 NIV).
At first, this verse can seem offensive. It calls our troubles “light” and
“momentary,” but they can sure seem more like “grave” and “prolonged.” However,
when I focus on the reality that life on earth is short, I realize the perspective this
verse brings. Compared to the glory of heaven, our troubles are, in fact, light.
Compared to eternity, our troubles are, in fact, momentary. God offered Matt and
me a way to get through this hardship without being overtaken—He offered us a
new perspective, a fresh viewpoint of hope and encouragement.
Some days are harder than others. At times, we still experience pain and sadness,
but we choose to look at our pain through an eternal perspective, and that helps us
conquer the despair that would otherwise cripple us. V
Just eight
months after the
accident, Matt and
Bobbye hold their
son, Justice, on a
family camping trip.
Bobbye, by
Matt’s side.
Bobbye spent the
second trimester of
her pregnancy in the
hospital with Matt.
Handsel Reid
14 www.kojministries.org