When my friend Ashley’s remarkable parents, Dr. and Mrs. Evan Zeiger, died in a plane crash one year ago today, she wrote a message so beautiful it was circulated around the world.
At the heart of her letter were these truths: “God is good, all the time. And all the time, God is good” (see Psalm 34:8-10).
“I’ve never been so weak or experienced so much pain in my life,” wrote Ashley, then a junior at Vanderbilt University. “So it must be a loving Savior surrounding me and hugging me tightly. I know God is present in the little promises He shows me every day, such as the verse that He gave my brother Evan: ‘If I go up to the heavens, You are there; if I go down to the grave, You are there. If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans, even there Your hand will guide me, and Your strength with support me’” (Psalm 139:8-10).
“My sweet mom and dad were flying with Jesus and His hand was with them as they went to meet Him in the depths of the sea. And He’s holding them now, and He’s holding us now. How great is our God.
“I miss them with all my heart,” Ashley concluded, “I keep hoping each morning that my dad is going to come kiss me on the forehead before he goes to work and that my mom will sit with me in her bathrobe over a cup of tea at the kitchen table. Then I’m reminded we will have all of eternity to do that. This is only temporary.”
Thank you, Ashley, for helping us get a glimpse of the comfort and eternal hope God gives to us in the midst of pain and loss. Yes, He is good . . . all the time.
NLT 365-day reading plan passage for today: Joshua 24:1-31
More:
Ashley believed in God’s goodness even after her parents’ sudden death. Read Psalm 103:13-18 to better understand God’s love and care for us.
Next:
What’s a tangible way you can express God’s love to someone who is grieving? How has His love transformed your view of life and death?
pbutte on March 6, 2011 at 4:33 am
How true that is. I have never posted before, but if just one person reads this, it will be wonderful. I love in southern Hancock county in Ohio. I have been a Christian for 33 years. I have 3 children, a wonderful husband of 40 years and expecting my 7th grandchild. I am 60 years old. Enough about me. I have to tell someone (besides my friends,pastor,children,doctor, and a few others) about what happened. THIS IS TRUE My basement flooded with water in 2007 and we lost all our stuff. Well, last Monday it happened again. The basement filled with water like a swimming pool. clear up to the ceiling. I teach an STNA class and between students calling and me feeling sorry for myself, I was getting VERY depressed. I’ve never felt so lonely and unloved and saying that I should just kill myself because no one cared and if they did, they would get over it eventually. I yelled at my husband and told him that I was feeling really bad and that it was his fault ( he retired in July). I called the doctor and made an appointment, I prayed soooo hard. What’s going on, Lord? Why do I feel so bad, where are you, I thought you loved me, just all kinds of evil thoughts. My husband had to go to Menard’s Thursday morning to get some stuff to repair water pipes and asked me to go along. I said no, I’ll just stay here in bed. He asked me if I would be okay. Sure. I did get up and go with him. DRUMROLL! I was still praying like God was listening and said to Him, crying inside. God where are you? Just give me a sign so I know you are real. I’m really doubting things right now. I glanced out the window and a deer jumped out of the flood filled stream. I got really cold. I told my husband that God just gave me a sign. (He’s not a Christian but the most wonderful person I’ve ever met.)I remembered a Bible verse about a deer panteth for water and my soul something but did not remember it all. I came home and looked it up in my LIfe Application Bible. Psalm 42:1. There it was. KJV. As the hart (deer) panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. There was my sign. I was hanging on by a thread, then pulled up by the strong hands of my Lord. I’m on fire! Thanks for listening! I love all of you.
joehillomni on March 6, 2011 at 7:21 am
Thank you pbutte! I certainly hope you come back to check for replies. You certainly touched my heart this morning.
pri1465 on March 6, 2011 at 9:00 pm
Thank you pbutte, we all come to a point when we feel we can’t cope and can’t go on any longer. It is only by clinging to Jesus in the fog of dark despair that brings us through and when he does it is wonderful. Our troubles are still there but somehow we feel that He is with us facing everything with us and things are not so bad as before. I thing we have to touch rock bottom to be able to rise up again with Jesus. Thank you for sharing, it is sure to touch and helpsomeone else who is feeling desperate at this moment and give hope to them.
angelinechanmm on March 6, 2011 at 10:32 am
I believe everything happens for a reason and God is trying to teach us something through that experience. He did not promise us green pastures all the time but at the same time, He will not try us more than what we can endure. Should we accept only good and not adversity from God? In His Word, when we are weak, He becomes strong and His Presence is magnified, so praise Lord for every good and difficult things in our life,for we are built for His Pleasure and Glory.