Last night, my Bible study homies and I were part of a shared experience at Lysa Terkeurst’s Trust Again Tour. It was a night filled with incredible worship led by Natalie Grant and Lysa at her most vulnerable and transparent. We praised Jesus, and then we laughed and cried. For those who don’t know, this combination is Christian Woman crack. We love laughter and tears, mixed with a whole lot of Jesus. The event really delivered.
Lysa shared many impactful thoughts, but what resonated with me was her story about experiencing a shattering betrayal from her husband. Despite the pain, she believed that God could turn her experience into a beautiful redemption story, but she wanted it to be written on her own terms. And when that didn’t happen, she began losing her trust in God.
Wow, have I ever been there! I remember when Dad was sick, and I just knew God would heal him. After all, I believe God never gives sickness, and is always on our side, as demonstrated in the life of Jesus Christ. But when Dad kept getting sicker, and eventually died, my faith took a big hit. I did not doubt the existence of God, I just felt I didn’t know Him as well as I thought I did. And that made me afraid to trust.
Last night, Lysa also shared the story of a Chinese farmer and his son. When the son was born, the village celebrated, telling the farmer, “This is the best day of your life! You have a son to carry on your legacy.” The wise farmer simply replied, “We shall see,” and joined in the celebration.
Years later, the son accidentally left a gate open, and their only horse escaped. The villagers lamented, saying, “This is the worst day of your life. Without that horse, you will lose your farm.” The farmer replied again, “We shall see,” as he mourned the loss of his horse. Later, the boy found the horse, which had returned with two others. The villagers urged the farmer to recognize this as his greatest fortune, but he maintained his stance: “We shall see,” and celebrated the horses’ return.
Later, one of the new horses broke the boy’s leg in a tragic accident, making him lame. Once more, the farmer wept and said, “We shall see.” Eventually, their country went to war, and all the young men in the village were conscripted, except for the farmer’s son, who couldn’t serve because of his injury. Tragically, all the other village boys died in battle, while the lame son stayed home to take care of the farm.
So, I ask you, were these events the best or worst days of the farmer’s life? Maybe both, and maybe neither. Perhaps they were just events in a life full of curve balls, awesomeness, and tragedy. But when we believe that tragedy is the end of our story, we aren’t embracing the fact that God is the only one who knows how to turn tragedy into redemption. But we don’t get to tell Him how to do that.
What struck me about the farmer’s attitude was his ability to be present during the significant moments of his life while maintaining perspective. He celebrated and grieved, but his “wait and see” approach allowed him to stay composed when unforeseen circumstances threatened to derail his dreams. I believe the best way to gain Heaven’s perspective is to avoid treating life like Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride. When tragedy strikes, we should simply wait and see what God will do with it.
It’s been a few years since I lost Dad, and while it still hurts, I feel I know my Heavenly Father on a deeper level now. Jesus has been a guiding light, helping me to hold things loosely, as curve balls, awesomeness, and tragedy are a part of life. I will laugh and grieve, but I pray that I allow God to write my redemption stories without too much interference from me. And I’m figuring out that only time will give me Heaven’s perspective.
I know a story about a wonderful, beautiful man full of life and love who got nailed to a tree by haters. Those who loved Him thought it was the end of life as they knew it. And they were right—life as they knew it was over. Three days later, He got up out of that grave and rocked their world. Then, they changed the world with the greatest redemption story ever told!
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