Sunday morning at a local church,
25% destroyed by the storm, but (seemingly) safe enough to meet in. The pastor,
standing next to his backpacking tent, which he's living in because his house
was destroyed: One of the most difficult parts of the Christian life
is that being a Christian does not prevent life's tragedies. Surely if God
loves us, He would not take away what we love, who we love.
He then opened the
scriptures to 1 Peter, chapter 1, verses 6-7:
In this you greatly
rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all
kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith - of greater worth than
gold, which perishes even though refined by fire - may be proved genuine and
may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.
His response: Therefore, as a
believer, all trials and tribulations have for us a purpose:
To grow our faith...
To purify our character...
To encourage others with our testimony...
To rest in the knowledge that Jesus is Lord.
Our faith has value,
endures through devastation. The pastor encouraged me with his testimony.