I invigilated an English GCSE exam today, where one of the writing questions was to describe a difficult decision you had made and the consequences of that decision.
I sat and thought of all the difficult decisions I have made or friends of mine have had to make and the aching consequences of those decisions. Parents who have had to turn off the life support systems of their newborn child. A husband who was asked by doctors about to perform an emergency Caesarean on his pregnant wife who was dying from cystic fibrosis “Who do you want us to save – your wife or your baby?” Real-life situations which make you weep and which once again bring home to me the penury of the human condition, the sheer powerlessness and helplessness we face at times, when nothing we do or say can actually make the pain go away.
Later today, after the exam was over, after I’d spent a lot of time reflecting on the fact that at least the difficult decisions I have to make can be made within the framework of faith in a God who is not powerless or helpless (though that doesn’t automatically remove suffering from our situations), I listened to the song “Rest In The Arms” by Aaron Shust and I made it my prayer for all those people currently facing the consequences of their difficult decisions:
“When you’re broken, when you’re weak.
When you’ve turned the other cheek.
When you cannot speak,
Of the bitter sweet,
The bitter sweetness.
When the floor gives out beneath,
And everything that you believe
Cannot bring you peace.
You’re broken inside, broken in pieces.
You can
Rest in the arms of the One who holds you
Rest in the arms of the One who knows you
Rest in the arms of the One who won’t let go
You can
Rest in the arms of the One who holds you
Rest in the arms of the One who loves you
Rest in the arms of the One who won’t let go
When the water starts the rise
And you’ve lost the will to fight,
When you’re losing light,
Just close your eyes,
Close your eyes now
Have no fear
I’ll be here.”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OVt55n9As2w
I pray that all those who don’t know that love will find the Lord and that all those suffering and in anguish will find rest in His arms. This offering seems so small and inadequate, but I rest in the plenitude of God. He is able to comfort and lift up those who are broken.