this, too, shall pass...

Senior Year- there was a girl… we’ll call her Sally. She was great. We were in the musical together junior year and we totally hung out and we were like instant BFF’s. And we spent the whole summer together and my best friend- well call him Bob- would hang out with us all the time- and when school started we were like inseparateable we would just stay up all night talking and after school Sally and Bob and I would go to Perkins and drink a ton of coffee and sort of commiserate… I don’t even like coffee… but I did when she was around.
Anyway… good times… but we weren’t going out- we were just dating… at the time that meant something to me, but I really don’t remember the difference… whatever…
Anyway. Sally and I were both in our school’s tour choir, the Croixaliers and one fateful weekend we had 2 or 3 performances like Thursday night Friday at a school and Friday night performances- something like that- so we all stayed over at Sally’s house and had a super fun time- we had a BBQ and a fire pit bonfire... In fact, Bob came- even though he wasn’t a Croixalier.
To recap- Sally and I dating, not “going out” Bob- best friend non Croixalier- but avid coffee drinker- all at Sally’s house.
Saturday morning rolls around we’re all sprawled out on Sally’s living room floor I awaken early- go to the kitchen to get a glass of refreshing Orange Juice and I look out the window into the back yard and I see Sally and Bob sitting out there by the fire pit with their backs to the window and I wonder… “hmm what are then doing out there… I’m going to put my shoes on so I can join them." As I place my footwear upon my feet I look up and I see much to my shock that Sally and Bob are very close to each other… so close in fact that their lips are touching in what looked to be a passionate kiss. Yeah.
In my dismay, I fell forward on to the sliding glass door making a tremendous noise with broke them from their embrace to turning and looking at me as my face was pressed against the window.

My life was OVER. My best friend just totally scammed on MY girlfriend who wasn’t REALLY my girlfriend because we were just dating, not going out, but it was inevitable.
I.
loved.
her.
So I left.
We had a performance that night but I didn’t care, I was heartbroken and no Croixalier should have to perform when his heart is shattered and his world is collapsing before his eyes.
Luckily I drove- in fact I drove Bob, but he was on his own now. So I jumped in my car and drove home absolutely sobbing- we’re talking the ugly cry face for a solid 2 hours. The mix tape she had just made me was playing and every song was more of a gut wrenching experience. So much in fact that I threw it out the window in an act of defiance. That’ll teach her. So I get home and my parent’s are like what’s going on and I’m a wreck and I’m like “Leave me alone- you don’t know anything cuz you’re old” and I slam my door and sob into my Sesame Street pillow case- true story- my mom comes down to my room and she stands there as I convulse with teenage angst and she just says. You seem upset.
Very astute, Linda is.
I, being 18, yell something to the effect of DUH and Go away.
She lets me vent and return to my pillow and she calmly asks, have you prayed about it?
SIGH
This was not what I wanted to hear. I’m like Mom- God can wait for my tears to subside and my world to stop colliding with the rouge asteroid that is heartless women and back stabbing friends.
She just stood there and then she let me know lunch was in an hour and walked away. As I turn to see if she was gone I noticed she had left a book on my dresser. It was her Bible that was all written in and well read and well broken. And she had left it open to Romans 8:28 and wrote in big letters- “READ THIS”
… after potty training, that might have been the coolest thing my mom has ever done for me…

Romans 8:28-39- selected verses:

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose
What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?
Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord!!

What awesome words! Words that continue to bring comfort and peace even in the darkest of days.
Maybe it’s the weather- it’s been so cold outside and Spring seems to be so elusive
Or maybe it’s because there’s a Democrat in office… or because the economy sticks..
But for whatever reason, relationships all around me are being stretched and challenged.
Not just my own, but so many high school kids have come to me and have told me about best friends who are waning
or significant others who drifting
or solid friends who are softening
or communication with parents is breaking down.

There are a lot of people who are hurting and confused and wondering right now because of problems with relationships that were something a couple of months ago but aren’t so much right now.
And I find myself asking them the same thing as my mom did 11 years ago- have you prayed about it? And then the sweet words of Romans 8 comfort the most restless heart.

We know that all things work together for the good to those who love God.
This is one of so many ways that God in His Word tells us that it’s going to be OK, we’re going to make it- He is still in charge.
If He is for us, who can be against us??!?!
It’s all a matter of perspective, my dear friends.
An Eternal Almighty All-knowing God compared to the sinful, trifle, simple human condition
It’s so easy to loose perspective- especially when you’re in high school- especially when you’re in a SMALL high school interacting with people that in some cases you’ve known since you were 6 years old.
It’s hard to look past the Spring Formal date
or the post-musical depression
or next week’s game
or graduation that’s looming
It’s hard to get a big picture when you’re stressed over finishing everything before finals or choosing a college
or getting yelled at for not having a summer job lined up.

Anything sound familiar?

Friends fail
Break-ups happen
Emotions are toyed with
Feelings are hurt
Grades are disappointing
Games are lost
Parents are prying
Students are on your last nerve

But the Creator of the world still loves us and the Savior of the world still has us in His arms- our sins are still forgiven, our eternal salvation is still sure- and we- despite any chaos or confusion or hardship around us are STILL more than conquerors through Him who loved us.
Thank God!

Paul asks us a great question here-
What SHALL Separate us from the love of Christ?
Trouble? Hardship? Persecution? Fights with friends? Lack of a job? A car that’s broken down? -insert current stressor here-
What can separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord?
Nothing. aboslutely NOTHING.

Our Savior- Jesus Christ- True God and True Man took the one thing that DID separate us from God- sin- and He took it all and He put it all- EVERYTHING squarely on His shoulders and he opened His arms and he was nailed to a cross. And every drop of blood he shed and every ounce of excruciating pain he endured was for you.
And because he died- our sins- the stuff that separates us from our God—they have been removed as far as the East is from the West.
And at our Baptisms we were given the gift of faith through the power of the Holy Spirit and because of that- NOTHING - can ever separate us again from the love- the never-ending, perfect, self-less, calming, comforting love of God- our Father, our daddy in Heaven.
He loves us even when our best friend and girl of your dreams are making out in front of you at 8am- and your whole world is seemingly crumbing down in front of you-
NOTHING can separate us from the Love of God.

One of my favorite sayings that a psychology professor always said- and I thought it was his own wisdom, but I actually saw it on someone’s Facebook like 6 months ago and it was attributed to Ann Landers… so he wasn’t as smart as I thought he was, but he did Plagiarize well…
I have this hanging in my office right above my computer and I look at it hundreds of times a day, because it is so important-
It goes like this- “Expect trouble as an inevitable part of life and repeat to yourself, the most comforting words of all; this, too, shall pass.”

This too shall pass.
I don’t know if there’s anything more important to keep in mind as you go about your lives than that- this too shall pass. This is important to 7th graders as it is to 17 year olds as it is to 57 year olds… This too shall pass.
It’s exactly what our Lord is saying to us here in Romans 8- He talks about trouble and hardship and persecution and danger and famine- he doesn’t say it’s not going to happen in the life of a Christian- in fact we’re told throughout Scripture that it IS part of being a Christian.
We are still in a sinful world, and bad stuff- really really crummy stuff is gonna happen. It’s part of life. Expect it. But know that it will always pass- know we are more than conquers of all that bad stuff- all the trouble and hardship- we’re above it all through the love of Jesus.

Keep that perspective as you go about your lives- we have all been called according to God’s will- and we know that all things work for the good of those who love Him. We know if God is For us, who can be against us? And nothing will separate us from the Love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.


Sally and Bob and I- we worked things out- Sally and Bob dated for like 2 months before they realized they couldn’t stand each other, which made me giddy with joy. But, alas we are all still friends. The world didn’t collapse, my life wasn’t over, my high school experience wasn’t ruined, and my dreams were not crushed and broken. That too passed. And SO MANY OTHER things have come up and have been catastrophic events in my life- but they too have passed,
And I now know that situations in life come and go, but God’s Mercy and Love endures forever.

There is so much more that can be said, friends. But I’ve written enough… Just take a little time Listen with your hearts for just one min. shut off everything else that is floating in your brain- give all your attention to these words-

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose
What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?
Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord!!

May Jesus always hug you close to Himself, and may you always seek refuge in His never ending- never failing love.
And may the grace and peace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ guard your heart and mind forever.