Finding Truth in Hardship
by Sarah Beckman
Several years ago, friends of ours tragically
and unexpectedly lost their 25-year-old son to
suicide. We had watched this young man grow
up. His wit, his profound intelligence, his passion,
his confidence, his fortitude, his faith, and his deep
love for his family were obvious to all who knew
him.
We were crushed. Our hearts were broken for
them. We had no answers, only faith that God
would provide the strength they needed in this
time of great sorrow (Psalm 46:1).
We know that we are more than conquerors
(Romans 8:37) because Jesus loves and comforts
us. He shines through our darkest hours. Death
doesn’t change His love; it makes it more
complete, just as Jesus’ death completes us all.
But still I mourned. I cried for a mother who’d
experienced unfathomable loss, a sister who
wanted an uncle for her daughter, a dad who
longed for one more chance to share life and
laughter, and a brother who wanted to look up to
his big brother one more time.
But I could not change their reality. I could only
stand with them in their sorrow. And pray.
Americans have faced much loss and hardship
in the last few years. Innocent lives lost in
hurricanes that devastated vast parts of Texas
and Florida. Homes, property, livelihoods, and
lives lost in Puerto Rico and many parts of the
Caribbean due to those same tropical storms.
Tragic, senseless deaths in mass shootings around
the country. Decimation of entire neighborhoods
and profound loss due to rampant wildfires in
Tennessee, California, Montana, Oregon, and
elsewhere.
Many of us feel helpless. Whether the loss is
personal or the collective pain of a nation, we seek
answers. We may not have those answers this side
of heaven, but we can stand with those we love in
their sorrow. We can pray.
And we can focus on the Truth.
When I read Ecclesiastes chapter 3, I am
reminded that God’s truth sustains us in the
hardship and sorrow of life. It does it in a way that
nothing else in the world can do—not words, not
meals, not tears, not our presence in a living room
or amidst the rubble of someone’s life. God’s
Word alone brings life and hope in moments of
utter devastation.
Here are just a few of the profound truths found
in Ecclesiastes 3.
There is a time for everything…a time to weep
and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time
to dance…a time to tear and a time to mend, a
time to be silent and a time to speak (3:1, 4, 7).
He has made everything beautiful in its time. He
has also set eternity in the human heart (3:11).
Everything God does will endure forever;
nothing can be added to it and nothing taken
from it (3:14).
I have no answers to why my friends’ son took
his life, why shooters kill innocent people, or why
natural disasters wreak havoc indiscriminately. I
also don’t know why you’re facing the trials that
loom before you. But I do know that God has set
eternity in our hearts, and His Word is filled with
life and truth.
I pray that His Word will help you in your
hardship or sorrow; that it will help you process
heartbreak, loss, and devastation in any form. And
I pray that His truth will always be a salve for your
wounds.
* For more guidance on how to walk with others in times of
pain, pick up a copy of Sarah Beckman’s book, Alongside:
A Practical Guide for Loving your Neighbor in Their Time of
Trial, from your favorite local or online bookseller.
CRASHING | from page 31 ____________
did make a mistake. Maybe something
you did contributed to your difficult
circumstances. Regardless, never let
yourself think that you must live without
hope. Never believe there’s nothing you
can do. You can accomplish much more
than you think.
Throughout life, you will have
setbacks, but setbacks are not the end.
If you have a dream, it’s not too late
to pursue it. Look at me—I had always
wanted to finish college and teach, and
I was able to do that. And for me, faith
and family have always been important.
I’ve had a relationship with God since
I was twelve years old and I realized I
needed a savior. That’s when I asked
Jesus Christ to live in my life. Granted,
my faith has grown since then—in fact, it
grew a lot while I was in prison, as you
can imagine.
God has been with me every day,
during the good times and the worst—
maybe especially through the worst
times. And He is with me now. He does
not always do things the way I want
Him to, but I know He will be with me
wherever I allow Him to be.
He will be with you the same way.
God brings hope into your life, no
matter what you have done or what
your circumstances are.
I’m praying for you.
Jerr y
• Shared with permission by retired USAF Colonel
Thomas Jerry Curtis with his biographer,
Carole Engle Avriett. Curtis’s complete story of
imprisonment during the Vietnam War is told in
his biography, Under the Cover of Light (Avriett,
Tyndale House Publishers, 2017). It is available
on amazon.com or wherever books are sold.
Illustrations by Bret A. Melvin.
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