Lately I\u2019ve been rereading the “Chronicles of Narnia.” Not only are the books some of my favorites, but they\u2019re quick reads, which is really helping me catch up on my Goodreads reading goal for the year.<\/p>\n
The best fiction illustrates truth about real life. Over and over, C.S. Lewis used the fictional character of Aslan to illustrate truth about God. In Aslan\u2019s words, \u201cby knowing me here for a little, you may know me better there.\u201d<\/p>\n
Throughout the Narnia series, we see Aslan\u2019s power and seriousness about wrongdoing. But in \u201cThe Magician\u2019s Nephew,\u201d we see a very tender moment. Digory asks Aslan for something he desperately wants and is afraid he\u2019ll never receive. As he waits for Aslan\u2019s answer, Digory \u2014 and all of us reading \u2014 know that Aslan can grant his wish with a roar or a shake of his mane. But Aslan does neither.<\/p>\n
\u201cUp till then [Digory] had been looking at the Lion\u2019s great front feet and the huge claws on them; now, in his despair, he looked up at its face. What he saw surprised him as much as anything in his whole life. For the tawny face was bent down near his own and (wonder of wonders) great shining tears stood in the Lion\u2019s eyes\u2026\u2018My son, my son,\u2019 said Aslan. \u2018I know. Grief is great. Only you and I in this land know that yet.\u2019\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Don\u2019t pretend it\u2019s nothing<\/h4>\n
I grew up assuming I would marry young and raise a family. That\u2019s what I always wanted my story to be.<\/p>\n
You probably know what it\u2019s like to watch friend after friend move on to the next stage of life while you stay where you seem to have always been. For my part, I\u2019m seeing more and more engagements and wedding announcements and baby shower invites for people who are much younger than me.<\/p>\n
I\u2019ve heard so many times about \u201cfear of missing out.\u201d But I think for some of us, FOMO has turned to POMO: the pain of missing out. It\u2019s not so much that I\u2019m afraid <\/em>of missing out \u2014 I know <\/em>I\u2019m missing out. At least right now. Whether I ever have a husband and children, I don\u2019t right now, and it feels like nearly all the people around me do.<\/p>\n
This is a legitimate pain. There are deeper pains, of course, but comparing our disappointments to others\u2019 doesn\u2019t lessen our own. It took me a while to realize the legitimacy of this pain, but I think it\u2019s an important step: We need to acknowledge that it is OK to be disappointed, to hurt. We don\u2019t have to shrug it off as if it\u2019s nothing. It\u2019s not.<\/p>\n
Aslan didn\u2019t downplay Digory\u2019s pain. No matter what pain or disappointment we face, God doesn\u2019t gloss over ours, either. And once we acknowledge our pain, we can move to the next step.<\/p>\n
A name you can trust<\/h4>\n
As I drove across town this afternoon, I passed a billboard advertising a financial advisor: \u201cA Name You Can Trust,\u201d it said.<\/p>\n
Now, I\u2019m sure the businessman who bought the advertising space can be trusted \u2014 to help with investment questions. But I wouldn\u2019t call him for relationship advice. Or to take care of my car door that appears to be stuck shut. When someone says they are a name we can trust, it all depends on what we are trusting them for<\/em>.<\/p>\n
The same is true spiritually: We know that our God is trustworthy. We can trust Him, yes. But what can we trust Him for<\/em>?<\/p>\n
Nowhere in the Bible do we read that God will give us every earthly gift or circumstance we desire. Not one of us is promised marriage or children or countless other good things.<\/p>\n
But wait. God does promise to give us good gifts<\/a>. He promises to be with us<\/a> no matter what. He assures us that His plans for us are good<\/a>, even if they aren\u2019t what we would have chosen for ourselves.<\/p>\n
We can trust God to change<\/a> us in ways we never thought possible. We can trust that whatever He brings into our life is for our good<\/a>. His is a name we can trust to truly know us<\/a>. A name we can trust to know our griefs. The Bible tells<\/a> us, \u201cSurely [surely!] he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n
How sweet is that? It\u2019s not like God is ignoring our request with an exasperated sigh. He carries our sorrow. Like Aslan, He stoops to our level, looks in our eyes, and understands.<\/p>\n
The things God knows<\/h4>\n
I know God has a plan for my life. I know He sees me and is working in my life right where I am right now. I know His plan is good \u2014 the best, even. But sometimes it means even more to me to know that He knows my sadness and disappointments.<\/p>\n
God lived on this planet we live on. He breathed this air, felt this gravity. He knows pain, sorrow, disappointment \u2014 and He knows whatever is making us ache. He may not change our circumstances with the snap of a finger. But whatever comes next, His is a name we can trust.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Copyright 2022 Lauren Dunn. All rights reserved.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Does God care when we struggle with the pain of missing out \u2014 on marriage, family and dreams? If so, can we trust Him with our pain?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":89,"featured_media":36985,"menu_order":0,"template":"","categories":[3,10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-36978","blog","type-blog","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-adulthood","category-personal-growth"],"yoast_head":"\n
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