Where is God?!

 

As you all know by now, Emily and I began our battle through infertility in 2009. Through that journey there were many times when we felt like God was absent and inattentive to our problems.  We couldn't have been further from the truth. Throughout history times that looked bleak and as through God was removed from the situation have turned out to be stories of triumph. We decided to make ours a story of triumph as well, regardless of the outcome. In fact, the greatest story ever told centers around a group of people that thought God didn't show up. Here we are 2000 years later talking about the story that didn't go as anyone thought it would.  A holy man crucified mercilessly yet doing so voluntarily so that we can have hope, faith, true love and salvation. Crazy how our plans really just don't matter at all in the scheme of things, but that's exactly how it is supposed to be.

Robin Roberts challenged all of us to, "Make our mess our message" at the recent ESPY awards. What a powerful concept if we are able to look outside our circumstances to help and be helped. We all have a mess.  That mess may come masked as a variety of different problems but we all have at least one.  Andy Stanley, one of my favorite speakers, discusses these ideas and the times when we feel like God doesn't care in the video posted below.  You aren't alone. People have been struggling with the concept of God's presence for thousands of years...

 

Hang in There

 

Emily and I took another trip to the hospital last night.  Much less panic ensues which each episode, we know exactly what to pack and exactly where to go.  As I sat in the hospital helplessly watching the nurses check Emily and the boys' health I began to think back on our lives the past few years and the incredible life change that has happened.  We are amazed at where we are now. 

 

7 years ago, this month, Emily and I got married.  At that point I was in graduate school at Auburn University and dreams of working in professional sports were ahead.  I would have never guessed that we would currently be living in Smyrna, Tennessee, each have a Master's degree, living off one full-time salary, I would be working at a small private university that doesn't have football, and leading classes at our church.  That's because where we want ourselves isn't as important as where we are supposed to be.

 

Many times through our struggle to start a family we felt like we were just "hanging in there." We were so focused on just getting past where we were that we were missing crucial opportunities to help and serve others and to build relationships.  We believe that God has us where we are for a reason and that the past few years have been preparation for this moment. This moment, then, is preparing us for our future.  We struggle every day with "keeping up with the Jones'" and making more of ourselves.  It was when we decided to stop just "hanging in there" and began trying to make the most of whatever situation we are in that God blew us away.  I am amazed at how he has allowed me to influence people, not for how good I am, but for how good He is.  I am humbled to be married to a woman who gives credit to God in all circumstances.  When I know she is in pain and I know she is distraught, she is faithful.  This is where He wanted us all along, we were just too selfish to see it.

 

I also wanted to say thank you again to our HUGE support system.  We have been blessed beyond our wildest dreams by many of you.  Your prayers, cards, gifts, emails, texts, and words of encouragement and support have gotten us to where we are today.  Our hope is that we may be able to give the same help to you in your time of need. You have allowed us to use our situations for good. Community is a powerful thing if we would just begin to let others into our lives.  Our society tells us that we need to do whatever it takes to be successful and when times get tough, just hang in there.  God tells us that success is in Him alone, not in money, how many "friends" we have, possessions, or notoriety.  When times get tough ask Him to guide you and make the most of your situation, don't just hang in there.