We’ve all experienced the ups and downs of life. I mean, it’s life. Sometimes it feels like a heady roller coaster ride, and other times it is calm and serene.

As much as we hope for calm and serene, it doesn’t stay that way.

When I look back, I can clearly see the seasons of ups and downs. For example, ten years ago (I can’t believe it’s been 10 years!), my late mother had her first stroke. That was a rough year. I spent a lot of time with my parents (who live in another state) and with my mother during her recovery and her rehabilitation.

Then 2016 came with the birth of our first grandchild. That year was filled with joy. Mom was doing well, and it was a calm time, where I was able to bask in the joy of my first grandchild.

The year after that, my brother was diagnosed with cancer and so it was another difficult year. Thankfully he has recovered and is doing well.

But you get the idea. You can look back on your life and see patterns like this.

With the first half of this year, it’s been a tough year so far. My husband lost his mother. And people around us, people we love, are dealing with very difficult times.

Through these past months, I believe that God is teaching us to trust Him. We’re feeling the ripple effects of other people’s pain, as well as our own. However, God reminds us to trust and to pray.

That’s tough to do when it’s the only thing you can do. Yes, we all know prayer is good and prayer works, but it’s difficult when you want to take some sort of action, and the only action is prayer.

Finding Hope

Recently, though, I ran across a piece of Scripture that really speaks to me and is carrying me right now. It’s from the Old Testament, Isaiah 42:16 (NIV):  

I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths. I will guide them. I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do. I will not forsake them.

The CSB translation says I will lead the blind by a way they did not know. I will guide them on paths they have not known. I will turn darkness to light in front of them and rough places into level ground. This is what I will do for them, and I will not abandon them.

Not wanting to take things out of context, this is speaking about Israel, obviously before the time of Jesus. I want to focus on the hope that it must have brought Israel back then and can also bring us today.

I read a commentary about this verse that talked about this being the definition of courage, illustrating the concept of courage. I believe that.

We don’t know what lies in front of us. But as a Christian, I know God is paving the way. God is lighting the path and smoothing our way.

We need not fear. Okay, that’s easier said than done at times. We’re probably all guilty of going to a place of fear and worry. I was afraid when Mom had her stroke. But I had to trust God for his healing, comfort and compassion.

We need to focus on hope, because God lights the way. There’s such comfort in that. God is taking care of us, whether we feel it or understand it right in this moment. Or whether it’s something we’ll be able to look back on once we’re through this season. Hopefully, we will see how God was working every step of the way.

God still works for us today.

May this encourage you this week.