My family and I have traveled frequently throughout the years and sometimes we would arrive at a tunnel and then play a game to see if we could hold our breaths until we reached its end, which was a relief for those of us who struggle with claustrophobia! :)
For months I have been struggling with a health issue of which we can't quite pinpoint the cause. It has been exhausting and frustrating to live with. It is one thing to know there will be an end to something difficult you deal with; it is much harder having no idea how long it might last.
Suffering can often feel like walking through a dark tunnel where we can see no light emerging at the end.
But would we have any reason to trust Him if we could see the end?
Walk by Faith, not by Sight
In my suffering, if I could see the end of it approaching, I wouldn't need to lean so heavily on His shoulder, nor put so much faith in Him to lead me through the darkened and mysterious tunnel.
Though we can't often see the reasons for our pain, we know that every day, every step we take, is one closer to arriving at the end of it, because though we can't see it with our eyes, Heaven is coming for believers.
Just because we cannot see the oxygen we breathe dosen’t make it any less vital to our life, just as we have a glorious future awaiting us that we cannot yet see.
"So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight." (2 Cor. 5:6-7).
One Day Soon
However, for some, full healing may not arrive in our lifetime. My dear cousins lost their brother three years ago and will not receive the great joy of seeing and holding him until Heaven is a PRESENT reality!
Trust in Him when you cannot see the end because you know the end! Joy upon joy will be ours in that great Kingdom of light and peace, so hold on dear Christian, for one day your suffering will end and you will know not a speck of it has been wasted.
"When all my labors and trials are o’er, and I am safe on that beautiful shore, just to be near the dear Lord I adore, will through the ages be glory for me." (Oh, That Will Be Glory by Charles H. Gabriel).