NormsMilfordBlog

The Best of Jack’s Winning Words 12/11/23 – posts made to his blog by the late Pastor Jack Freed, now being reposted by his son.

“A candle of God’s goodness can serve as a beacon of hope for those navigating dark passages of their lives.” (Hanukkah Quote) One thing that Hanukkah and Christmas have in common is a message of HOPE. God’s goodness is always with us…told by the menorah’s nine candles, or the one Christmas Star. As we traipse the dark passages of life, let’s not forget that God is with us. In the darkest hours, seen or unseen, our Hope is that God goes with us. 😉  Jack 
 
Originally sent December 10, 2020.

We may think of those going through dark times in their lives and hope that God is with them; however, there are quite often others with them that we seldom stop to think about. They are the ones who

provide support and comfort to those involved in life’s darker moments.. They are the first responders who arrive at scenes of chaos, accidents, tragedies or pain and loss They include the healthcare workers who are involved at the hospitals or those who must visit the homes or bedsides to offer support or condolences.  We do not spend much time thinking about the impact on their lives made by the things they must deal with daily, yet that impact can be profound. Those are dark passages.

 When you really stop to think about it, it’s not hard to understand why these people may be impacted. They are, after all, people who care enough to want to help and they are often involved in an extremely hard time for those they are helping. Some of the pain, sadness, anguish or sorrow cannot help but rub off on them, too. Their empathy is a conduit for sharing those feelings and it is impossible for it not to have an impact. Those are dark passages.

I certainly include in this group the priests and pastors who try to bring spiritual strength to people in situations when it an seems like God has abandoned them. How terribly difficult it must be to assure the parents or loved one’s of the victims of a mass shooting that God is with them. How hard it must be after the loss of a spouse to try to comfort and reassure the grieving survivor. How it must tear at the soul of even the most devout to preside over the funeral of a young life cut short by drugs or violence or suicide. Those are dark passages.

Yet, through all of our dark passages, if we but turn to God, his goodness will shine as a beacon and the light will show us the way out of the darkness. Seeking God’s help doesn’t have to be something elaborate, just something sincere. In my personal times of darkness, I have turned to the simple prayer, “Not my will, but thy will be done.” Try it and let God’s beacon of hope show you the way out of those dark passages.