Whatever your age or stage of life, if you’ve made it this far without experiencing sorrow or pain, CONGRATULATIONS, you are a rare and wonderful creature! But don’t get too comfortable there, because trouble is a certainty. Jesus declared that it’s a sure thing, but not a hopeless thing, for he also said that he had “overcome the world.”
That leaves us as present-day believers in Christ with two conflicting realities: Jesus says he has overcome the world, but experience tells us that living in this world includes pain, disappointment, sorrow, loss, and ultimately death. Does our pain have a purpose, or is pain just an obstacle, a hurdle we must manage on the way to living “our best life now”?
Does our pain have a purpose, or is pain just an obstacle, a hurdle we must manage on the way to living “our best life now”?
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I’ve carried this question into my reading and found the life and writing of Amy Carmichael to be a sturdy trellis for my wondering. In her career as a missionary in India, she established an orphanage for the trafficked children she rescued; however, it is primarily through her books that her influence is still being felt today. Her role as “Amma” (“Mother” in the Tamil language) to hundreds of children and supervisor of a growing staff would have left little time for writing, so most of her books were written during the years following a devastating accident that left her bedridden and in constant pain.
Her poetry, letters of encouragement, and meditations on scripture draw a continuous and connecting line between suffering and the sovereignty of God. The earth is filled with the glory of God and his wonderful works, yet what we observe are only glimpses of the fullness of his power and his love—the mere “edges of his ways.” From the confines of her bed, Amy Carmichael lived and wrote her belief that God sustains us in our suffering. 1
Today, I’ll share with you a bumper crop of Amy Carmichael’s wisdom I’ve harvested from my reading. If you are experiencing a season of pain or loss, may you find encouragement to seek God’s good purpose as you live in hope.
Trust that God Has a Powerful Purpose
“Our Lord can command even the most difficult, unruly thing that seems as if it will never be commanded.”
“When we are downhearted or fearful or weak, we are saying to everybody (by the way we look and by our timidity, if not by our words), ‘After all, the Lord can’t be absolutely trusted.'”
God “chooses out of all possible circumstances—and they are all at his command—those best suited to fulfill his purpose for my life.”
“All our problems are open to him, and all will fit into his plan. In the end, we shall see that what seems so hindering does not hinder but helps.”
“I want to live in the light of the thought of his coming, his triumph—the end of this present darkness, the glory of his seen presence. This bathes the present in radiance.”
“Don’t let the dull days pass without giving you what only dullness ever can give. It isn’t the days of high tension that try us most, and so give us most; it’s the days that seem all grey and dull. They test the quality of the gold.”
“Which is harder, to do or to endure? I think to endure is much the harder, and our Father loves us too much to let us pass through life without learning to endure.”
“Unhindered communion with our God is based on his revealed will, accepted and obeyed.”
Which of these quotes is most helpful to you in viewing your own present pain or sadness from an eternal perspective? I’d love to hear from you, and if you know someone who is traveling through a challenging season, feel free to forward this post to their email!
Amy Carmichael’s poetry, letters, and meditations draw a continuous and connecting line between suffering and the sovereignty of God. From the confines of her bed, she lived and wrote her belief that God sustains us in our suffering.
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Holding You in the Light,
- List of books by Amy Carmichael that served as resources for this post:
Candles in the Dark
Edges of His Ways
I Come Quietly to Meet You
Rose from Brier ↩︎
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Thankfully I am not currently dealing with loss or pain but looking back at the loss and pain I have made it through that enduring quote rings very true.
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God has definitely gifted some individuals with words to help us in the painful seasons. Amy Carmichael is one of my favorites.
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Oh Michele … All these quotes are helpful, but if I had to pick one that I’m resting in right now, it would be this: “God ‘chooses out of all possible circumstances—and they are all at his command—those best suited to fulfill his purpose for my life.’ ” Thank you for sharing this post today.
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Your bike, the timing, the car, the day of the week—your story is a stunning example of God’s command of circumstances which he could have altered for a better outcome. But he did NOT, and therein lies the mystery and the reason it’s called “faith.”
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Wow. Don’t make me choose just one quote. Each one is a gem that stands on her own, looking at Jesus.
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That’s RIGHT! I am so appreciative of the legacy of women like Amy who looked to Jesus, saw him clearly, and found a way to communicate what she saw.
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Thank you for sharing Amy’s wisdom with us, Michele. This quote caught my attention: “God chooses out of all possible circumstances—and they are all at his command—those best suited to fulfill his purpose for my life.” I think back to some of the painful experiences of the past and though I may not have absolute answers to why they happened, I CAN see good that transpired from ALL of them. Praise God we can trust his wisdom and sovereignty in all things!
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That’s a valuable insight, Nancy! I think that’s the quote that resonates most for me as well.
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It’s hard to realize God “chooses out of all possible circumstances—and they are all at his command—those best suited to fulfill his purpose for my life.” But we trust that He does. Also, “what seems so hindering does not hinder but helps.” I’m endeavoring to trust Him for what seems to be very hindering right now, knowing He has some kind of purpose in what appears to be taking time and mental energy from what I think would be worthier pursuits.
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I’m so sorry to hear that you’re being pulled in directions that are distracting you and sapping your energy. Life seems to cycle regularly into that lane, and, like you, every time it happens, I have to remind myself that God is never surprised by detours.
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Michele, I read and reread the quotes and it is impossible to pick just one. They are each most encouraging. This post reminds me that no plan of God’s can or will ever be thwarted.
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He is truly sovereign!
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