By Benescke Janse van Rensburg

Three news events during the past few days shocked me. . .

Former Springbok rugby player, Gysie Pienaar's 39-year-old daughter, René O’Ehley, died in a car crash on Friday. She left behind her husband, as well as her 12-year old daughter and 8-year-old son. Last week, Nina de Villiers, a 3-year-old girl from Durbanville, one of twins, died after falling on her bicycle's lever, which stabbed a hole in her heart. And in Durban, a newborn baby was rescued from a storm water pipe after her mother tried to get rid of her. The child miraculously survived.

How do you make sense of these painful events? How do you process a pain that tears your apart inside? Or how do you cope with rejection from the one who was supposed to love and protect you unconditionally?

One thing I can say with full conviction from writing stories of people testifying of God’s goodness for the past 10 years is that God is really able to bring forth something beautiful from the worst circumstances. Do we always understand why things happen? Not necessarily. Is it easy to cope with the hurt in the mean time? Not always. But... one thing we can do is to trust God, knowing that He is able to work things together for good in the future.

In Isaiah 55: 8-9, God says: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways . . . As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” In 1 Peter 5: 7 we read: “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” And In Romans 8:28 we read: “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God . . .”

What is the thing that tears you apart? Loneliness? A divorce? Rejection from someone who was supposed to love you? Financial loss? The loss of a loved one? May I encourage you, instead of trying to find answers; deliberately choose to put your faith in God? May we praise and worship Him in the midst of our storms, knowing that He carries our anxiety and burdens and that He is able to work all things together for those who love Him. God bless!

Father God, thank you for being my resting place. Please heal my hurt as I choose to put my faith in You. I ask this in the Name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

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