From the Congregational Church of Eastford
Hello Eastford! If you have been reading my pieces in the Communicator, you might have guessed that I am an optimist. It’s true — I am. And, it is true even when bad things happen.
I know a lot of people in our community who have experienced losses, illnesses, and disappointments. Families struggle as finances are tight, parenting is challenging, and relationships buckle. Aging is no picnic. Life can be hard … and seem terribly unfair. Jesus never promised his followers a life of ease. Indeed, He said, “In this life you will have troubles.” Yup.
When I was a young man, about 18, I remember a friend’s mom, widowed at a young age, who stood in her kitchen and told us, “Boys, life stinks, then you die.” Thanks for your encouragement, Mrs. W (she’s not from around here, so you don’t know her). But, is she right? My answer is, “It depends … on whom you know.”
I recently sat at a bedside in a hospital and shared these words from the Bible: “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth give way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling. There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High. God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved; God will help her when morning dawns.”
Are you in a dark passage? Is there trouble in your life? There is One who offers you refuge, strength, and a “very present help.” Do you know Him? If you do, you need never face trials alone. In the worst of things, there is hope. There is light that can pierce the darkness, hope that can quench despair, mercy that can erase guilt, and joy that can flood the valleys of sorrow. All the goodness we need to overcome every trial is found in a person.
Jesus said, “In this life you will have troubles, but take heart. I have overcome the world.” Want to know more? Check us out at the Congregational Church of Eastford. Come meet fellow sufferers who have found relief. Come and meet Jesus, the lover of your soul.
P.S. The new building will be complete at some point this summer. It has been a long three years, but the wait has been sweet thanks to the generosity of so many and especially the goodness of God.