I am writing this Editorial from Germany, just prior to the Last Day of Unleavened Bread. Recent events have emphasized again for my wife and me that our life is not in our hands, and that it is not in man to direct his path. Rather, we must rely on and trust in God at all times, especially when it is difficult to do so and when no solutions seem to be in sight or even possible.
We had planned to bring my almost 86-year-old mom back with us to the USA on our return trip on April 16. Several developments rendered the execution of that plan impossible. First, my mom’s condition has been deteriorating so much that she could not fly at this point. We have consistently prayed for the opposite result, but we have also prayed for God’s Will to be shown to us and to be done.
Until today, we were still waiting to see whether or not to postpone our current flight to see either an improvement or the opposite in my mom’s condition, but another unexpected message reached us from the USA. A pipe in our home had burst, causing major water damage in several of our rooms, including my office, bedroom and guest room, making them presently uninhabitable and necessitating lengthy repairs. Our son is supervising the progress and told us that it is a mess and to stay away from home as long as possible.
As bad as this development appeared, it forced us to make the decision to postpone our return flights. The decision to do so was made for us through circumstances beyond our control. Obviously, God made clear to us what He expected us to do, even though this was not what we had hoped for.
When this Editorial is published, maybe further decisions have been made for us—whatever they may be – or the immediate future might still be uncertain. We know that we are in God’s hands, and that He knows best.
Still, it is not easy to cope with trials like these, but we must remind ourselves daily that God will not allow any trial to overtake us which is too difficult for us to bear, and that He will show us the way of escape, so that we can endure it. For that, we must be deeply grateful.
