Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;

In light of the massive devastation from the tornadoes, I thought this devotional from last summer could be helpful.

Years ago my mother had a powerful experience with the Lord.  It involved the death of a good friend.  He was a younger man with a wife and a young son.  They attended the same church with Mom and Dad and had been dear friends for years.  His wife had been Mom’s nurse when I was born.  Mom had a strong relationship with the Lord but she just couldn’t understand how this young Christian man could die and this family suffers such loss.

I remember so clearly her describing the experience afterwards.  She was downstairs in the basement doing laundry.  She was overcome with sorrow over the death of this friend and just couldn’t understand how it could happen.  He and his wife were so young; life was there to be lived with his family; how could this happen?

She was standing in front of the washing machine, tears coming down her face, repeating over and over to God, “I just don’t understand.”  Into that moment, the Lord spoke to her so suddenly and clearly, that she never doubted that it was Him.  He said, ‘Louise – You don’t have to understand.  You have to trust!”

This had an immediate and profound impact on Mom.  While she still didn’t understand, she turned to the Lord, and released it to Him.  In Him, the edge of the pain dissipated.  In Him, she found peace.  In Him, she found refuge.  She was no longer a tormented ‘prisoner’ of having to understand this death.  She was able to mourn in a healthy place.

Tragedy occurs all around us: tornadoes, flooding, earthquakes, explosions, accidents, unexpected deaths or injuries.  Life is filled with them.  Usually they are things we read or hear about. But, sometimes they are near and we or our loved ones are stricken.  In those times we are to trust in the Lord.  He has a way of comforting and bringing life to us when we don’t understand.  He is our source of mercy and grace to help us in our time of need. (Heb 4:16)