Look Up

Did you know that even the most joyful, God loving people can end up in a pit?  You may ask how can that be?  Well, we live in a fallen world and none of us are able to escape the loss of a loved one.  Many of us may also experience disasters, illness, hate and discord.  It’s just part of life on Earth. 

I have never been in a pit of despair.  Despair is the absence of hope.  But when my husband died, I fell into a pit of deep sadness.  The thing about a pit is when you look up you can see the light at the top.  So that’s what I did, everyday I would look up and cry out to God who is our light.  I would constantly ask Him to rescue me and heal my broken heart.   I don’t know how He does what He does, but He sustains us in the pit as long as we stay focused on Him.  It doesn’t mean we get to bypass all we may have to go through, but we go through it so much easier with Him.

The truth about being in a pit is that you only have 2 options, focus on the darkness-the bad stuff, or look up into the light and pray to get out of the pit.  It’s like anything else in life, we have choices.  We decide what we will focus on, what we will give our energy to, and how we will choose to view our situations.  There is no other choice when you are in a pit.  It is either focus on the negative or the positive.  But I have to say while the negative of Mark’s passing overwhelmed me, I chose to focus on the positive as much as I could, when I could. The grieving process takes time. God knows what we are going through and gives us grace, but He longs to be our positive force, our help in time of need.

I love this Chorus from the song, Love Lifted Me, written by James Rowe in 1912

Love lifted me! Love lifted me!
When nothing else could help
Love lifted me

God is love.  When humans can finally grab ahold of that truth and ask Jesus to come into their lives, even the pits of life can become places where His love can cover us and strengthen us.  Then when we persevere, we are able to come out even better people.  I would also say that by being in prayer everyday and reading scripture, most of the time I have avoided the pit.  I will admit that the suffering and death of my husband seemed to be too devastating, so that is where I found myself.  

Love lifted me and I am a stronger person now.  I have such empathy for people who have lost their spouses and loved ones. I miss Mark so much but I walk in joy not sadness, rejoicing that I got to be his wife.  I smile often at my memories and continue to praise God. 

My advice; avoid the pitfalls of life as much as you can by letting God’s love lift you up and set you on a solid foundation. Then go out and conquer the darkness with His light.  Just always remember to look up!

Psalm 40:2 He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.

 Psalm 103:4 who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion.

 Prayer

Oh, heavenly Father, I thank you for loving me and lifting me from the pit of unbearable sadness.  Thank you for imparting your joy and peace within me once again.  I can’t imagine life without you Lord, it would be just too hard to bear.  May my experiences bring wisdom and grace to others as you would guide.  May all the days of my life bring you glory instead of sadness.  Keep lifting me up so I won’t stumble, and help me be your hands and feet in a world that needs you.  Thank you, Lord, In Jesus’ name, amen.

God Bless,

Sally