Being in the midst of a hard season can feel like being stranded, on a dark road and no light in sight. Abandoned. Isolated. You know the road?
Most of us have been lost on these dark roads at one turn or another. Illness, loss, tragedy. Dark roads lie all around us. Some harder and longer than others; some easier to navigate. What I do know today is that every dark road, every hard season, comes with an opportunity. And it’s opportunity we can choose to embrace.
The last two weeks have been tough for my husband. He’s been sick and hospitalized and in the process, I too became sick. Let me preface this with the understanding that it could have been so much worse. Yes, we know there is always a worse case in the next room. In fact, we ourselves have endured worse situations. But let’s not waste time on uber humility: hard times are hard. And this has been one. So whatever it may be, a tragic accident, broken bone, loss of a loved one, a terminal diagnosis, a looming debt, a panic attack or loss of a pet…these situations can be painful and difficult. No matter the prognosis or outcome, we feel engulfed in darkness and in that moment- we struggle.
The last few days I have been thinking of the story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. Daniel tells us that they were dedicated men, unwilling to waiver in their faith, refusing to worship other gods. They were sentenced by a furious King Nebuchadnezzar to be executed in a fiery furnace; burned alive to prove the God they worshiped did not exist. But they were steadfast: If God was who they believed Him to be, they’d be saved.
As I imagine the scene unfolding, I can see the friends thrown into the huge fiery pit. They were bound in their clothing. The heats intensity was increased seven fold in order to burn them more quickly, more savagely. The flames reached over their heads. The crowd watched and waited. Then suddenly, the men were seen walking around in the fire; and a fourth person was with them. This other person was in the image of God.
God was with them, in the fire.
The shocking scene stunned the King and in holy fear, he released them from the furnace. They were brought out without even a hair on their heads being singed. It was an amazing miracle. An insane display of Gods power. The men had a choice, an opportunity; to stay steady and hold firm to the truth of who God is, or succumb to the flames and burn. Apparently they chose well. And let's remember that fire both burns and refines at the same time.
But what stands out to me most in this story is not that the fire did not consume them; but how these friends we’re in the fire, aware of the fire, felt the heat of the fire, and saw the fire all around them…. Can you even imagine? They knew they were engulfed. Maybe it was hot on their skin. Maybe they were terrified. They could have regretted their decision. But in the moment, they held steadfast to their faith and trusted God to free them from it.
And He did.
I imagine a similar scene when the Israelites crossed the Red Sea and God held back the waters to free the people from slavery. They too were engulfed but came out alive.
This place of being aware of and feeling fire all around me but believing completely it will not consume me, is the anchor to which I’ve attached myself to on this particular dark road. While it wasn't a tragedy, it was just enough difficulty to remind me of who God is. An opportunity to remember the freeing perspective of being aware of my difficult circumstances without fearing I'll be overcome by them. I know God can also hold back the flames, or the waves, from me today. And chances are none of us will ever be thrown into a fiery pit and face that kind of threat; but we can sure feel flames of our own, nonetheless.
There is a smell of illness in the hospital, an odor of people who look stunned and lost, anxiety over being helpless, and fear not knowing how bad it will get. But one thing I am certain of, He has been right there in the fire with us, every moment. He has held back the flames.
So when your faced with difficult times, of loss or mourning or worry, you can choose to cling tightly to your Father. Stand firm. Trust that He is with you, allowing this, for your refinement and growth. For His glory.
You can walk out of the fire changed.
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