Formed through adversity

Pastor Barbara Moyer Lehman reflected on the damage inflicted upon trees by the early snowfall our community experienced a couple of weeks ago. Some trees were destroyed, others needed to be radically pruned and took on new shape. She reflected that humans are often like trees, subject to harm by events that occur. Adversity happens and we may face the dark night of the soul. Often what shapes our faith are positive joyous experiences, but painful, over-whelming situations also form us. How do we learn through illness, failure, or rejection? What do we learn? The list might include patience, compassion surrender, how to listen, who our friends are, how to ask for help, how hard it is to receive help. In the story told in Mark 5:21-43, the woman suffering from the flow of blood found not just health but the restoration of her self through Jesus. And Jairus found healing and restoration of his daughter through Jesus. In both situations, faith propelled the characters forward through adversity. This does not mean that God causes suffering. But God does allow it to be present. Suffering in and of itself has no value, but how we respond to it gives it significance.