God? You there?

I've learned that during my weakest times, I've been most encouraged by knowing that others get discouraged too. There is a powerful "healing" process from sharing our pain with others who are hurting. Far too often we all walk around playing unrealistic perfect roles, claiming to never doubt, never hurt, never break. When in fact, all of those things happen to all of us. Take the people on the video below. Although they are all typically assumed to have had perfect faith in God, they've had their weaker moments too:

So next time you cry out, "God, can you hear me??", remember you're not alone. What differentiates frustration with hopelessness is the ability to praise God even when He doesn't seem to be there. I don't think David ever finished a Psalm without praising God, even if it started as a cry of frustration (Psalm 13, Psalm 22, Psalm 69). Trust in God, no matter what. But don't pretend you are made of steel. Only those who know how low they are can be picked up:

"Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time." 1 Peter 5:6

Credit for the video goes to Central Christian Church, in Vegas as a opening video to a message series called Torn.