The Power of Pining

Last Friday I went out of town for many hours and Tilly stayed at a friend's house.  A few hours after I'd left her, I got a text with this picture:

The text read:  She only looks out the window, waiting for you, 65% of the time.  As you can see (maybe) is she chose to be away from the group, where she would have been warmly welcomed.  Instead, she chose to spend her time pining.

Wishing for things to be different than they are is a useless place to be. Sure, we can look backwards fondly, or even sadly.  We can look forward, hoping for changes and making plans for them.  But pining in itself has no reward except a feeling of emptiness.

When people say that God is always with them, that doesn't always mean a lot, especially when you don't know Jesus.  Jesus spent time with people who nursed deep wounds.  While he performed many miracles, people still experienced heartbreak.  But the solace He alone gives is not just for a hope of eternal peace and understanding.  Knowing Jesus now lets us experience the actual comfort of God.  Asking for His power gives us the ability to overcome and live above our personal tragedies. 

In ways I still can't understand, our pain itself can be redeemed for the glory of God.  I don't know if you've experienced that radical grace, but I have.  I look back at the disappointments and trials and can see how God was with me when others were not.  Through the changes God has made in me, I can relate to the pain others have, even if it is not the same pain. That crushing blow of tragic news feels like a punch in the gut of everyone.  And there's hope that is deep and reliable.  The best part is that God can be with us always, no matter where we are.

While I can't always be with Tilly - even though she wishes I would be - I'm glad that the presence of Lord is always with me.  I'd be lost without Him.