Gas Station Reflections

Yesterday, just before lunch, I was walking back from the local Oakfield gas station, BFG. As usually tends to happen when I am on a walk around town, my mind wanders. You see, I was at the gas station for a different purpose than usual. I met a young couple with children that needed help with a tank of gas. They were getting paid the next day and just needed a little bit of help to get them to that paycheck. The churches of Oakfield and Tabor helped them out. I was glad to be able to help out!

While making small talk with this couple, I found out that one of them was involved in a pretty bad accident while playing softball. It left him briefly unconscious and in a lot of pain. Given the stories that I have heard from this couple, I was troubled to hear of this recent story. Hadn't they gone through enough already? Hadn't life already given them enough blows after the last few months? What's the next thing that's going to happen to these people?

In my devotionals, I have read about how we are to react to adversity in our lives. We all face adversity in our lives. This I understand. We aren't supposed to look at it as God being against us or trying to make our lives difficult. God is with us through the adversity of our lives. It is when we overcome adversity that we realize what we are capable of with God's presence in our lives. We are never alone. As a friend told me, "If God brings you to it, He'll bring you through it." But, there are times, when it does seem like too much.

Then I think about this couple. They have faced so much...for so long. I am happy to know that they do attend church, and are looking for a more permanent church home. I am thankful they through all they have gone through, they do not see God as being against them or in their name. Bless them for their faith. I hope I would have the same faith and devotion if I were in the same situation.

It is my hope that they will be able to get back on their feet, with God there every step of the way. Amen.