I’ve been MIA lately from the blogging world.
Here’s a quick summary of what I’ve been doing:
Running a half-marathon with my sis…
Getting ready to leave town to surprise my mom…
Writing 12 pages of sub plans…
Revising sub plans…
Traveling to Texas to surprise my mom for a long weekend visit…
Helping her teach kindergarten, listening to her kids read, watching them perform a program, playing Scrabble, shopping, going to lunch, laughing and crying together…
Traveling back to Iowa…
Helping Doug get ready to leave town…
Picking up the pieces in my classroom when the sub (who apparently preferred high school kids to 1st graders) didn’t listen to the 12 pages of sub plans…
Praying, crying, and talking with friends and family who are hurting deeply…
Crying…
Praying…
Going out to eat…
Praying…
Praying…
and
Praying…
A lot has been going on this last month in some of my close friends’ and families’ lives. I have felt myself crying out to the Lord in desperate pleas for the peace, comfort, healing, hope, and livelihood for my friends and family.
I find great comfort in this verse,
15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. 16 Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” Hebrews 4:15 – 17
Amazingly enough, admist the travesties, the hurt, and the anguish that this broken world brings into our lives, we have a God who is not unable to empathize with our weakness.
Double negative= confusing.
Sorry.
He is not unable to empathize, which means he does empathize with us. He hears each desperate plea we make and meets us right where we are.
When we don’t even have words, the Bible says that the Holy Spirit intercedes for us with “groans that words cannot express”. Romans 8:26
Amazing.
What a huge comfort to know that our God hears and cares, even when we are unable to form the correct words.
Even when we don’t have the words to pray…
Or the words to speak..
Or the strength to make it through the day.
Even when we don’t understand why…
God does.
He empathizes with us.
He feels our pain.
He understands.
Even when we don’t.
Found encouragement in this song on the radio the other day…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rk4A5647xHw
Brought tears to my eyes as I reflected upon God’s faithfulness in the midst of difficulties.
Also loved this quote that I found on a blog…
“I don’t want to argue the purpose for suffering or why God allows suffering, but I simply want to say this: learn to suffer well and you can change the world.
…consider those you admire, those who live with passion and intention – do they have a story of suffering? It may not be an outward, public brokenness, but I would venture to say that the world changers are well acquainted with grief. A seed must fall deep into the ground, breaking in the darkness of the damp earth before it can spring up and burst forth with life, full and new. And so the suffering of this broken life does not in itself bring about change, rather it is how the suffering is handled in the hands of the broken. “
Enjoy the beautiful fall sunshine today. 
