"It is not for the flock of sheep to know the pasture the Shepherd has in mind. If they knew that His plans included a valley of deep shadows, they would panic. Keeping close to the One they've learned to trust is all that's necessary." ~Elisabeth Elliot
Elisabeth Elliot knows of which she speaks. Her first husband (of 3 years) was killed in 1956, speared to death while attempting to share Christ with the Auca Indians of Ecuador. She later returned to South America and was instrumental in leading her husband's murderers to the Lord. She remarried in 1968, and her second husband died of cancer four years later. She has written over twenty books, many of them about suffering and how God uses suffering in our lives.
I always used to wish I could see into the future. I'm a planner by nature, and I like to have everything scheduled out. I write everything in my calendar and look at it several times a day to make sure I'm on track. Suffering and grief don't follow a schedule, though, and that's taken some adjustment. The calendar is not always my friend these days. I recently emailed with a woman who lost her daughter, a junior in high school, ten years ago. Ten years sounds like an eternity right now. It's hard to imagine how all of this will feel ten years from now...in a way, it sounds great to be that distant from the heartache, yet at the same time, I can't imagine being that far separated from the last time I saw Hannah. But then, it will also be ten years closer to seeing her again...and that sounds good!
A wise pastor once said that God does not give us a roadmap of our lives, because if He did, our eyes would always be on the map, and not on Him. I don't know what the next ten years holds, or even the next ten hours. But that's okay...He knows.
2 comments:
Hi Jill. I check your post almost daily. Checking to see what you have posted. My name is Kelle Patterson and worked at Harmony Grove Schools and I sorta know your husband. I attended Hannah "Celebration" with Becky Montalvo.
I must tell you that your post are ALWAYS so inspirational to me. Thank you for allowing me to be a part of your blog.
Hi Jill. My name is Jennifer Carter. Alan McCone is my cousin and I'm best friends with Heather Burford. I found out about your blog through both of them and I really enjoy it. It's very uplifting to me. My family has also been through the loss of a loved one to cancer. My younger sister lost her husband of 2 years to brain tumors in 2005. He was 25. She has since remarried and has a little girl but he is still in our hearts. He was a very uplifting person and we always left with a smile when we would visit them. My sister cared for him no matter how hard the road got and that was a testimony in itself. THank you again for your blog and letting others hear your story!
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