Seeing Him Clearly

Last week I had new windows installed throughout my house.  The weather tight seals on my windows have been broken for some time, and then in late fall or early winter of last year one of the windows unexpectedly developed a serious crack.  So this was my signal to install new windows this spring.

The old windows often had a hazy dirty look, because the weather seals were broken.  I am amazed as I look out my new windows how much clearer and more beautiful everything now looks.  So also right now the trials of life can cloud our view of the blessings which are in our life and can also cloud our excited anticipation of what lies ahead of us in eternity.

Yet some day we shall see the Lord face to face.  Someday we will have a greater grasp of the big picture of why God allowed difficult experiences in our lives.  We will "know fully" as it says in I Corinthians 13:12.  Someday we will see things clearly, as looking through a clear window.

As a former caregiver I have sometimes wondered why my husband had to endure the indignities of his disease.  Yet I know at this point in eternity my husband is saying, "It was nothing compared to the glories of heaven.  It was worth it all.  God knew what He was doing."  As his caregiver I also do not fully understand why I had to go through the trials of watching his body deteriorate.  I do not fully understand why I had to lose him and why I have had to endure other trials.   Yet I too one day will fully understand.  It will be as clear as the view from my new windows.

Yet if we are looking for it, we can even now have glimpses of understanding as to what God is doing in our lives.  It is trials that make us more dependent on the Lord and make us more aware of the Lord's presence.  That in turn adds to our joy.  It is trials that make us more sensitive to other's needs, and in the end serves as a platform for helping others and telling others of God's grace in our lives. Trials help us see God's faithfulness, and it is an opportunity to watch God work His wonders in our lives. It is an opportunity for our spiritual muscles to grow stronger.

Dear caregiver, you may be feeling very overwhelmed and discouraged in your responsibilities and in the heartaches of caring for your loved one.  It may be difficult to clearly see the work of the Lord in the life of you and your loved one.  That does not change the fact, however, that the Lord knows what He is doing.  He will never leave you or forsake you.  Trust Him and lean on Him.