Celebrating Despite Hardships

Celebrating Despite Hardships

Celebrating Despite Hardships
We’ve all been in situations that seem hopeless. We just can’t see how things can ever work out again. And sometimes this period of fogginess lasts weeks, months, even years.

Kurt Bubna writes about this in his new book Epic Grace, Chronicles of a Recovering Idiot “Our perspective is so limited. Our vision is so imperfect. Our ability to see the bigger picture is incredibly restricted and inadequate. We live so often in a fog. The hills are still there, but we can’t see them. the view from God’s vantage point is the same, but we are blind and afraid. Fog happens.”

Fog indeed happens. Way more often than we’d like it to happen. But when fog happens, the most essential question is: what to do when we are in a fog? How can we keep on keeping on when we can’t see where we are going?

We don’t yet see things clearly. We’re squinting in a fog, peering through a mist. But it won’t be long before the weather clears and the sun shines bright! We’ll see it all then, see it all as clearly as God sees us, knowing him directly just as he knows us! But for right now, until that completeness, we have three things to do to lead us toward that consummation: Trust steadily in God, hope unswervingly, love extravagantly. And the best of the three is love. (1 Cor. 13:-12-13, MSG)

We are to trust steadily in God, hope unswervingly, and love extravagantly. It sounds impossible but when we dare to celebrate when we are in a fog…that’s when we get in touch with unspeakable joy.When we dare to trust without understanding….that’s when we are enveloped in peace beyond understanding. Then we can hope against hope. Then we can celebrate even when things look gloomy. Because we know God has a plan for us. And that plan is good.

“Shout and celebrate, Daughter of Zion!
    I’m on my way. I’m moving into your neighborhood!”
        God’s Decree. (Zechariah 2:10, MSG)

Kurt urges us “Imagine with me a different way to live. Imagine what our lives might be like if we truly trusted the one person who has no limitations and no vision restrictions. God sees the beginning from the end. Time is not linear to him; it’s eternal. How might your life be radically different if you accepted the blindfold and then walked along the edge of the cliff knowing that God is the one who is holding your hand and guiding your path?”

That’s the way I want to live. Daring to believe when I can’t see the whole picture. Rejoicing when there’s no physical proof of the fog clearing out. Celebrating despite hardships; celebrating when there’s no visible reason to do so.

Because God is faithful beyond any fog.
Because God is bigger than any problem.
Because God is stronger than any hardship.

That’s why we can celebrate in a fog and dance in the front of our fears. It’s not about us or fog. It’s about God fulfilling his promises. And he has promised to be with us until the end of the world.

We don’t just put up with our limitations; we celebrate them, and then go on to celebrate every strength, every triumph of the truth in you. We pray hard that it will all come together in your lives. (2 Cor. 13:9, MSG. emphasis added)

Here’s a brilliant example of daring to celebrate in the midst of hardships. This is how you can face a potentially fatal cancer and a major surgical procedure. Here’s how a woman dances with her medical team right before a double mastectomy. May God bless her and all of us to always trust steadily in God, hope unswervingly and love extravagantly because God is good – all the time!

Gracious God,
We so need you.
Come and be our light.
Be our compass and our strength.
Be our hope and our purpose.
Be our unspeakable joy.
Empower us to always live in your grace
and dance in the front of our fears.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen

Q4U: Are you celebrating despite hardships? Where do you get strength to keep on keeping on? Are you familiar with unspeakable joy?

Be blessed, my fellow pilgrim, as you dare to celebrate despite while living in a fog!

Image courtesy of Zach Gibson, design Mari-Anna Stålnacke. Linking up today with Wisdom Wednesday, Unite the Bloggersphere , Three Word Wednesday and #tellhisstory.

This post is part of #EpicGraceWednesdays. I am blogging through Kurt Bubna’s Epic Grace. Join me every Wednesday!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review (or any review for that matter). The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

12 thoughts on “Celebrating Despite Hardships

  1. Beautiful thoughts shared in this post! So grateful to have read them this morning. Yes even in the fog may we hold onto the truth that His perspective is clear & bigger! Thank you for sharing. I visited from Three Word Wed. Blessings, Joanne

  2. Celebrating our weaknesses- celebrating in the fog, That point stood out so wonderfully to me. Someone once asked what would happen if we lived completely free of fear- what would we do? We would trust God to be who He is. He is such a big God. Great post, thank you!

  3. Hi Mari-Anna,
    I found you through Simply Beth, and so glad I did :). I loved your post. So thankful we can treasure joy in our hearts through whatever we go through, in His Grace.
    God bless

  4. Lovely post, Mari-Annka! And it works for Advent, too, as we wait for the One who is so much more than we can possibly imagine, trusting that this One will come (does come, has come) bringing liberation from fear and death. (And even as I read this post, the San Francisco fog lifted!) Love to you!

  5. Oh my goodness! This so spoke to my heart this morning. I feel as though I’m in the fog with my husband now gone for the next 10 months but like Robinka said, I could feel the fog being lifted as I read. Because even in this fog He gives me so many reasons to shout with joy. He is my strength. He is my hope. He is my joy. I can’t imagine trying to get through these months without Him and I’m so glad I don’t need to try to.
    I’m thrilled you have joined us for Three Word Wednesday. I do so hope you continue to join us every week. This was a blessing!
    God bless.
    Beth

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