Light in the Darkness

At church last Sunday the sermon was about how life is hard sometimes. And it is. Life goes easy on me most of the time, but I am under no illusions, life isn't meant to be easy and we will all face tough times. What is important is that even in times of trials and troubles we keep our faith and trust in God.

A prayer that I find very inspiring and humbling is a prayer of Archibald Tait. Between March 11th and April 8th, 1856, Tait and his wife lost five of their six daughters to scarlet fever, this is the prayer of thanksgiving he prayed in this time of incredible grief:

"O God, you have dealt very mysteriously with us. We have been passing through deep waters … You have reclaimed the lent jewels. Yet, O Lord, shall I not thank you now? I will thank you not only for the children you have left to us, but for those you have reclaimed. I thank you for the blessing of the last 10 years, and for all the sweet memories of these lives. ... I thank you for the full assurance that each has gone to the arms of the Good Shepherd, whom each loved according to the capacity of her years. I thank you for the bright hopes of a happy reunion, when we shall meet to part no more."

My hope is that in times of trial I am able to keep my trust in the Lord and be thankful to Him for His many blessings. Troubles may come to pass, but not to stay and God knows what is best and has a path laid out for me.