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Any time I think of the story of Moses found in Exodus 1-2:10 of the Old Testament, (which I highly recommend reading), I remember when my oldest child was just a toddler and she was watching this story on a videotape. The first time she ever saw it, when the story went beyond the part of Moses' parents keeping him hidden for three months, to the point where they placed him into a hand-made little boat in the Nile, I heard her crying from the next room. She and I met on our way to each other, as I was coming to find out what was wrong and she was coming to tell me. I thought she had gotten hurt or something, but it was a bigger deal than that. She was crying so hard it was hard for her to talk, but then she told me, "The baby Moses is crying and no one is picking him up!" She has always had such a tender heart towards hurting people. She was mortified that there was no one caring for that little baby boy on the TV screen. She saw how we cared for her newborn sister and how much love we poured on her, so it was torture for her to have to sit helplessly while that baby was crying. Each time she watched it, she cried during that scene. It almost got to the point where I wasn't sure I should let her watch it anymore. It was so sad, but precious at the same time. Although she knew he would be okay, eventually, she was still sad each and every time she had to watch the Baby Moses go through that ordeal of being placed into a basket in the river.* What I needed to remember today, God showed me through the memory of this event so long ago. After watching the video the first time, and seeing how things turned out, Amelia knew that Moses was going to be picked up and cared for. But it still broke her heart each time she had to watch him crying out. Watching that baby's sadness and fear impacted her emotionally each and every time she watched that video. It used to confuse me because she knew everything was going to be okay. I couldn't understand why she would cry every. single. time!
As Stephen and I go through what seems to be an unending season of trials and testing, it's easy to wonder and even cry out to God, "Do you see me? Do you care about what I'm going through? Will I be taken care of?" And, as I remember this story, God reminds me that He does see me. And just like Amelia who knew the outcome yet still felt the heartache in watching another's pain, He does care. He is with me always. He will never, ever, ever leave me. He will never abandon me. He will never forsake me. And, although He knows exactly when relief and deliverance will come, and already has a plan for that purpose in His mind and in the works, it doesn't mean that He flippantly watches me go through this painful season. He sees and He cares. His heart is touched by the very things He is allowing me to experience.
He is reminding me that pruning, although painful, is always purposeful! As Henri Nouwen stated, "Pruning is no mere punishment, but preparation...our submitting to God's pruning work will not ultimately leave us sad, but hopeful for what can happen in us and through us. Harvesttime will bring its own blessings."**
And I'm reminded of those beautiful and powerful words of Joni Eareckson Tada,
"Sometimes God allows the very thing He hates in order to bring about the very thing He loves."
And, so, once again, afresh and anew, I surrender myself to my very good Father and I place myself in His care and His keeping. I don't know what the future holds. I don't know what else He's going to allow to touch me or my family, but I do know this. He is good and He does good. Always. I know that He is trustworthy.
"God is too wise to be mistaken. God is too good to be unkind. So when you don't understand, When you can't see His plan, When you can't trace His hand ~ trust His heart."
From Newsong's"Trust His Heart" quoting Charles Hadden Spurgeon
When I can't see Him, it never means He can't or doesn't see me. I am always on His mind.
And so are you.
If I can pray for you in any way today or whenever you happen upon this post, please don't hesitate to comment and let me know. Has God shown you "treasures in darkness?" I'd love to hear those from you as well!
**"Turn my Mourning into Dancing" Henri Nouwen compiled and edited by Timothy Jones, W Publishing Group, 2001*(This section is from a previous post, part of the "By Faith" series I did a few months back, which you can read here.)
