In as much as we like to think we are in control… We are not.
In as much as we like to think we understand… We do not.
Who can see the reason for the hard things that happen?
The young vivacious five year old son runs the school yard sidewalk and suddenly falls dead to the ground.
The unborn child twirls in the womb and the cord of life somehow wraps around her little neck and strangles.
The young woman battling an all-to- familiar disease passes away leaving her two young children and husband, motherless and wifeless.
Tears and anguish and loss and hopelessness follow. We want control. We want understanding. We want a reason for these very hard things.
Why must we endure and experience such aching!
Where is God when these things happen?
It can be easy to think that He is not with us, that He has turned away from us.
Do not fall prey to that wrong thinking.
The Lord is with us. He is in control. He has the understanding. He has the reasons. In my own sufferings and wonderings, I joined Jeremiah in saying:
“Yet this I call to mind and therefore have hope:
Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.
They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” (Lam. 3:21 – 23)
One day, all things may be revealed to us and we will “get-it.” Light will break through the darkness. 
But, until then, we must hang on! We must trust that the LORD knows what He is doing – what He is allowing – what He is giving us to endure.
And while we are trusting, we need to remember that the LORD IS compassionate and that He IS faithful. The LORD will carry us and we will not be consumed, no matter how many tears fall, how much anguish our bodies tremble with, how much loss we suffer. We must never lose hope even as hopelessness crouches at the door of our souls.
God, our Creator, has a plan and it is good. He is unfolding a grand and beautiful story at large; He is unfolding the details and chapters in our individual stories as well, one minute at a time. Like a well written book, each of the characters and events hinge on each other to complete the story. Likewise, our lives, though separate, are connected through the common bond of the big-picture, the common bond of Christ. The hard things do happen in the story. Yet…
Call to mind these things about our LORD and have HOPE.
He is risen!
Jesus, our LORD is very much alive and He loves us all!
Believe and trust and hope will be yours.
Always a Song of Hope 
Oh, yes, yes yes. this world is not our home. we are its stewards, sojourners, and its salt and light. In our responses and relationships, to the years we have here, being salt and light is our goal, with the hope of all that heaven is. If we say we have light and walk in darkness we disobey, or if say we are citizens yet lose hope in the struggles, we are being refined that our faith will be as gold. Thank you for the reminder. ( P.S. Matthew was 6.)
I meant to say citizens of heaven yet lose hope in our earthly struggles…And I think being so very human and set in time, it is a challenge to keep the larger picture and live as both eternal yet temporal beings.
YES Marcia — you nailed it — so hard to live the big picture while we are nose to nose with the little picture! That’s why trusting the LORD is the key – thanks for reading!