Even When It's REALLY Bad, God is good...

A week ago Sunday, we arrived in Louisiana for a week of mission work--renovating homes that were destroyed two years ago by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.  Our first "official" act as a misison team was to attend worship at the relief center where we would be staying for the week.  Pastor Rustin Treadaway spoke about having JOY in the midst of trials and suffering.  Somehow, his message was quite credible!  HIs family's home had been devastated by the flooding, and many of his parishioners homes had been either rendered unlivable or destroyed.  Yet, here he was preaching about God's presence in suffering and the incredible JOY that God gives to those who trust in Him in every circumstance.  Pastor Rustin's congregation is small--and nearly ALL congregations in St. Bernard's parish are much smaller than they were before the flood.  Many folks have not--and will not--return to their former homes there.  Even so, Pastor Rustin preached with power and joy about how God is good even when situations are really bad. He emphasized perseverance as the key to joy.

I was humbled by the message, because I realized how easily my joy turns to frustration, or impatience, or anger, or discouragement, and I"ve never gone through anything like what the folks of the Gulf Coast went through.  God has been teaching me a lot about His joy and maintaining it in ALL circumstances, particularly over the past year or so, but the best illustration I've experienced is the faithful folks in that worship service, who sang of God's power, love and grace, of His BLESSINGS, and Pastor Rustin's message of God's goodness in ALL circumstances.  I'm grateful to God for the powerful message that NO MATTER WHAT happens He is good and our joy may be complete!