A Grief Observed : C.S. Lewis goodness

I have recently picked up C.S. Lewis’ book A Grief Observed and, even though I’m only halfway through it, I absolutely love it. In trying to process his grief, Lewis brings up points that have touched me. The same questions he has asked, I have asked.

Why would God force someone out of their shell only to push them back into it? I have asked that so many times. I seem to make such progress, only to fall flat on my face again. With each step forward, I take two, sometimes three, steps back. Why go through this? Why allow someone to suffer and keep suffering? Where is that promised joy?

I keep reminding myself that God doesn’t promise that He will automatically deliver us from hardships. He doesn’t promise that He will keep us from having to experience the storms, but He does promise that He will walk through them with us. How amazing is that? Whether you believe in God or not is not my business. I know I can’t change anyone’s mind about God anymore than I can change the color of their teeth. But I find great comfort in knowing that I don’t have to walk this life alone.

Yeah, I have friends and family. However, people are fickle. Most are selfish. They can leave right when you need them the most. Sometimes, those people just don’t have the strength to carry you through. I can breathe a little easier knowing that God is constant.

One night I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord. Many scenes from my life flashed across the sky. In each scene I noticed footprints in the sand. Sometimes there were two sets of footprints, other times there was one only.

This bothered me because I noticed that during the low periods of my life, when I was suffering from anguish, sorrow or defeat, I could see only one set of footprints, so I said to the Lord,

“You promised me Lord, that if I followed you, you would walk with me always. But I have noticed that during the most trying periods of my life there has only been one set of footprints in the sand. Why, when I needed you most, have you not been there for me?”

The Lord replied, “The years when you have seen only one set of footprints, my child, is when I carried you.” – Footprints In The Sand