The thorns must come before the crown

A friend recently wrote those words to me, reminding me that in the pathway of suffering that is laid before us, the pain and sorrow must come before the crown. She mentioned that in her years of trial that she felt abandoned by God. That got me to thinking. In my own trials I too have felt that God has left me, that there is no church that is prepared to deal with the load that I bear, there is no friend that can understand what I suffer. And yet that would be wrong in one way, there is a man, a man that I have rejected time and again, still he returns to ask that question. "How can I help?" He does not do it for reward or recognition, he does it for love. And I didn't see it till I read these words in an email today "but it is good too to feel that one is not alone in facing each day with heartache and pain". When one is in pain and under severe stress it can be hard to see that there are still those around us that are reaching out in Christ's love to help us. When the churches fail to do God's work then we may feel abandoned by God, but there are still men and women that love God, and try to help those that are suffering, even when we don't see them. These men and women, are the hands and feet of God sent to do his bidding, to show us his love.

"We must carry on."

Yes Brenda, we must carry on, but not alone. Let me help.