Where to even begin. The Hardest Peace by Kara Tippetts was wonderful and all kinds of sad. I knew going into it that I would probably sob through the whole thing... and I did. I wanted to read this book, because I think a lot about what would happen to my family if Phil or I died. I think Kara did a good job of giving a real, raw and balanced look at what life was like for her during this hard season of life. A lot of my biggest fears, she experienced. The part that probably gripped me the most was when she had to have a conversation with her seven year old daughter about how she probably would die of cancer and not of old age. Her daughter had asked her Dad what he thought Mom (Kara) would die of...old age or cancer. He couldn't answer because his grief suffocated him in the moment. God gave Kara the grace to have the conversation with her little, but it took my breath away. It was horrible and beautiful and sad. It's not the pain of dying or even dying itself that scares me. Like Kara, it's leaving behind the ones you love and knowing that they are suffering and you are not anymore. It's maddening to think about. There were a few things that stood out to me in her book that brought me comfort and reminded me that God's grace is big enough for anything that may happen in our life. She reminded me that God's the author of life, joy, sadness, suffering, etc...
1. Even frustrations or routine are a luxury in our life- Kara longed for normal. She longed to WAIT in car line, make lunches, sign permission slips. Do I need to say more? Really sheds a new light on today's problems.
2. God may not take our suffering away, but Kara came upon a verse where the psalmist prays to take the dread away from the suffering. That resonated with me. This is a real fear for me and I think for many people. Nobody wants to suffer, even though God uses it for his glory and for our good. The verse is Psalm 1:33,"Whoever listens to me will dwell secure and will be at ease, without dread of disaster."
3. Every day is a gift, don't waste it- This about sums up the book. Every day is a gift. Embrace God's grace in your life. Suffering will come. God will be near. This makes me think of the last sentence in a prayer I pray every day from Valley Of Vision called Morning Dedication. It says, "May I speak each word as if my last word, and walk each step as my final one. If my life should end today, let this be my best day."
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