Anyway

Anyway.

Several months ago that word inspired a blog post.  This morning that word is at the forefront of my thinking again.

At the end of yesterday morning's worship service, just before he led us in our closing prayer, our minister of missions informed us that there had been another ambush of police officers.  This time in Baton Rouge.

I had a knot in the pit of my stomach.  I felt heartbroken.  I wept.  And I wondered how much more.  When will this madness stop?

Much of this madness stems from a movement that tells us that black lives matter.  And they do.  All lives matter.

But did not the black life of a Baton Rouge police officer matter?  And does not the black life of his four-month-old child matter?

This senseless taking of human life to prove a political point sickens me.  It breaks my heart.  It brings me to tears.

Our country has gone crazy, or so it seems.  In fact, the entire world is teetering on the brink.  On Twitter this morning I read that in the just the last 30 days, these things have happened:  the UK has voted to leave the EU; there have been attacks in Baghdad (281 dead), Dhaka (24 dead), Istanbul (45 dead) and Nice (at least 84 dead); and there was a failed coup in Turkey.

That does not take into account any of the violence we have been experiencing in our own country.

And now, with the political convention season beginning, the airwaves are filled with opinions and hatred and bitterness and vitriol.

Life, even on a good day, can be challenging.  In all areas of our lives, there are challenges and disappointments everywhere we turn.  But these days, there seems to be a new crisis around every corner.

What are we to do? How do we deal with all that?  How do we handle these challenges and crises and disappointments? 

We trust God anyway.  Even when things aren't going our way.  Even when we have health issues or financial issues or relationship issues.  Even when we have been hurt or disappointed.  Even when our candidate isn't winning.  Even when those we love are suffering.  Even when we don't know how we will pay our bills.  Even when there aren't enough hours in the day. 

Even when the news headlines grieve us more than we think we can bear.

Even when those news headlines make us angry.

Even when those news headlines make us afraid.

Even then. 

Anyway.

Martina McBride expressed this well in a song she wrote and recorded a few years ago.  One verse of that song says, "God is great, But sometimes life ain't good, And when I pray it doesn't always turn out like I think it should. But I do it anyway, I do it anyway."

Anyway.

That's what faith is all about.  Faith is not dependent on circumstances.  Faith is faith in spite of circumstances.

Trust God anyway.

Obey God anyway.

Believe God anyway.

Let your light shine anyway.

No matter what the next crisis is.

No matter what you hear when you turn on the news broadcast.

No matter what.

Trust God anyway.

Let your light shine anyway.

Love people anyway.



"Even though the fig trees have no blossoms, and there are no grapes on the vines; even though the olive crop fails, and the fields lie empty and barren, and the cattle barns are empty, yet I will rejoice in the LORD!  I will be joyful in the God of my salvation!  The Sovereign LORD is my strength!  (Habakkuk 3:17-19a NLT, emphasis mine)

"God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.  Therefore we will not fear."  (Psalm 46, 1-2a, NASB, emphasis mine)