Hope In The Midst Of Suffering: The Kara Tippetts StoryНамуна

Hope that Parallels Pain

Christ relates to every trial we face, and is therefore fully capable of being present in our grief, suffering, and pain. Everyday, we have opportunities to enjoy our lives and find pleasure in being fully His.

In the film, The Long Goodbye, The Kara Tippetts Story, Kara allows us to observe her pain in dying and then challenges us to see God’s goodness alongside her.  As a young mother of four, her example of faith and hope amidst suffering is inspiring.

She says, “Suffering isn’t a mistake, and it isn’t the absence of God’s goodness, because He is present in pain.”

We not only have hope to live a life that is prosperous and victorious, but a life that is joyful regardless of pain or suffering.  The hope we have in Christ is not dependent on our circumstances, and since our hope was birthed in His suffering, it is in no way diminished by ours.  

Our ability to cast all our cares on Him only grows our understanding of His love and the peace that comes from abiding in His presence.  When we see ourselves in His care we grow in our delight toward Him and in our motivation to seek Him in all things large, small, meaningful, or mundane.  

We are all children of a just, loving, and holy God.  His passion for us does not make us immune to mistreatment. Instead, it provides a nearness to Him that gives us perspective for our circumstances and our suffering.  This provision of His presence offers us faith to believe that great joy does not always lead us around a valley of shadows, but often carves a path straight through.