Every Thursday I feature a “throwback” post from my blog archive. The goal is to look back and discover new lessons or opportunities to grow. This week, we’ll look at “The Cracks in the Jar” You can view the original post here. For today, here’s a quick recap and a few more thoughts using our stories to accomplish God’s purpose.
It’s been over 8 months since I had shingles. For the most part my body has healed. The pain from those couple of weeks is gone and only an extremely faint skin discoloration remains. This discoloration is so faint that no one else can see it unless I point it out and they put their face awkwardly close to my stomach or lower back. (read that last sentence as – no one ever sees it.) I am so thankful for this healing and the fact that, for the most part, I have all but forgotten about the shingles experience.
A few days I heard that a friend of our family had been diagnosed with shingles. Their case sounded way worse than mine as it is on their face and around their eyes. I can’t imagine having to endure that level of discomfort. When I heard this news, I was suddenly flooded with the memories of my experience. It was almost as if I had them all over again. I could vividly remember the feelings of the tiny shockwaves pulsating through my body, the itchy and cracked skin on my stomach and back, and the sleepless nights caused by the discomfort of this infection.
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Suddenly, what was a distant memory came flooding back because I knew someone else was suffering in the same way. I could all but literally feel their pain. While I couldn’t do anything to make it go away, I could truly understand what they were going through.
This can be one of the most powerful tools that our stories and experiences can provide. We all face hard times, painful experiences, and difficult seasons because we live in a broken world that won’t be perfect until Jesus comes back and makes all things new. However, when we face these situations, we can trust that we are being shaped into who God has created us to be, we are being equipped to face the next set of challenges on the horizon, and we are being trained to help others walk through their own difficult seasons.
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These difficult seasons are going to come, thats just the nature of fallen creation. But, when these seasons do come, ask yourself these questions to help you push through. First, “What is God trying to grow in me?” Hardship always gives us an opportunity to develop character. Is He trying to grow patience, endurance, understanding, empathy, or some other character trait? Whatever it is, it is something to help you become more like Jesus and more like the person you are called to be. Second, ask, “What past challenges have equipped me for this?” and, “What challenges will this help me face in the future?” God doesn’t waste anything. He doesn’t waste a moment. He doesn’t waste an experience. And He doesn’t waste a struggle. If you’re going through it, there is something for you in it. Finally, ask, “Who can I support or serve because I have lived this story?” Eventually, you are going to connect with someone who is going through the same thing that you have walked through. Because of that experience, you are uniquely positioned to walk beside them and help them navigate the challenge. You are able to encourage them and provide hope. You can be the light in the midst and at the end of the tunnel that shows them they can survive. You can be the audible voice of God in their life when they are struggling to hear Him speaking to their hearts.
Nothing is wasted. Not our success or our suffering. Not our greatest victories or our crushing defeats. It all has meaning and purpose and it is all useful to build the kingdom, to care for hurting people, and to make Jesus famous. Don’t give up in the hard times. Instead, get ready for God to use you in powerful ways.
What painful story can you use to encourage someone and point them toward the hope we have in Jesus today?
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