I WILL PRAISE YOU IN THE STORM

ABSENT FROM THE BODY....PRESENT WITH THE LORD... "I was sure by now that You would have reached down and wiped our tears away, stepped in and saved the day. But once again, I say, Amen and it's still raining As the thunder rolls I barely hear Your whisper through the rain, "I'm with you". And as Your mercy falls I raise my hands and praise the God who gives and takes away. And I'll praise You in this storm and I will lift my hands. For You are who You are no matter where I am. And every tear I've cried You hold in Your hand, You never left my side and though my heart is torn I will praise You in this storm."

Pain and Suffering - why ?

An interesting read: Why Does God Allow Pain and Suffering? by Jen Hatmaker on September 17th, "Suffering transcends all class, race, ethnicity, culture, privilege.... There is no corner untouched by grief, no demographic, no alliance. If you haven’t suffered, just live longer. To this end, the church has a history of formulizing suffering, giving it tidy origins and endings and whitewashing the horrid, debilitating middle. We’ve assessed the complicated nuances of universal sorrow and assigned it categories, roots, principles. Or in the face of uncertain causes, we recite some of the coldest, inhumane theology: "God is sovereign. Deal with it." In an attempt to understand the ordinary grief of human life, I fear we’ve reduced a complicated reality to an unmanageable burden; we’ve put a yoke of despair on people who mourn, assigning accolades to those who “suffer well” and, in ways overt and subtle, urging our brokenhearted to buck up. Then adding insult to injury, we fall into the trap of explaining suffering, as if any one of us could possibly understand its eternal scope.,,,,"

Answer - Sarah McLachian

I will be the answer  -    at the end of the line
I will be there for you -    while you take the time
In the burning of uncertainty -    I will be your solid ground
I will hold the balance - if you can't look down

If it takes my whole life -   I won't break, I won't bend
It will all be worth it  -   worth it in the end.
Cause I can only tell you what I know -  that I need you in my life
When the stars have all gone out -   you'll still be burning so bright.

Cast me gently into morning -  for the night has been unkind.