The Prized Possession: Finding Hope, Worth, and Purpose in a Wounded World

By Jill Schaible

The only thing greater than fear is hope

Frustrations with jobs and employers, mortgages and car repairs, college debt and marital conflict make us so overwhelmed we cant even sleep. And thanks to wonderful drug advertising, very few of us are not on some sort of toxic substance to either help rest our minds at night or cope with stress during the day. Ask yourself if this is not true. People are taking their own life over this stuff, which makes me wonder if weve missed out on some secret. When wounded souls feel they have no other option but to remove themselves from this earth before their time, wed better start uncovering some hope, and soon.

Lets be honest. Our world is broken. We patch it up with all sorts of things, but underneath, where we really live, there is everything from anger, regret, lust, despair, and pain to fear, guilt, depression, greed, and unforgiveness.

We are bombarded with distraction, deception, and way too much self-absorption to even recognize truth anymore. Is there any way out of this mess?

Yes! There is indeed. It is found in one person, who gave everything to rescue us. His name is Jesus.

The Prized Possession will help you discover who Jesus really is and why He is the only hope for hurting hearts. You will see why self-absorption and self-reliance are highly overrated, and how they keep us far from the freedom we need to see beyond our circumstances.

Within these pages are true, personal stories sure to inspire your heart and stretch your understanding of God and His unrivaled love for humanity. If you have questions about life, come along on an exciting journey toward hope, purpose, and redemption. There is a very generous God just waiting for you.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Mar 5, 2013
• ISBN: 9781449773571

Jill Schaible

Jill lives with her husband and daughter in Rockford, Michigan, where she serves as a leader in youth ministry. She is passionate about spreading the message of God’s grace, love, and forgiveness to a world so desperately looking for hope.

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Copyright © 2013 Jill Schaible

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ISBN: 978-1-4497-7356-4 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4497-7357-1 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2012920766

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All Scripture references are taken from the NIV, unless otherwise noted. Scripture marked NIV taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 Biblica. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the Amplified® Bible, Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation Used by permission.

Scripture quotations taken from the New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation Used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked NKJV™ are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

WestBow Press rev. date: 3/4/2013

Contents

Acknowledgements

Special Thanks

Introduction

PART 1:       An Unexpected Safe Place

Time

An Answer in the Face of Trouble

The Bigger Picture

Illness

Something Different

More

Impossibilities

Truth and Grace

Strength in Broken Places

Emotions

PART 2:       What Doesn’t Kill You Makes You Stronger

God’s Perfect Timing

Choices

Beauty From Ashes

PART 3:       Live, Love, And By All Means, Forgive!

Broken Love

A Fresh Start

The Power of Change

Can You Relate?

Tried and True

PART 4:       Strength We Don’t Understand

Change the World

It’s Not Complicated

Rewarded Faithfulness

In All Things

It Is Well

I Still Believe

PART 5:       What’s the Point, God?

Life and Death

Building Your Faith Muscle

PART 6:       For Such a Time As This

Thankful and Blessed

Our Failure is God’s Glory

Encourage

What You Meant For Evil

PART 7:       It’s Time to be Free

Worship

Laughter Heals

The Key

Impossible Forgiveness

Freedom

PART 8:       The Perfect Mystery

The Greatness of Glory

(Right Here on Earth)

PART 9:       Will You Hold Me Together?

Engraving

Restoration

PART 10:       I Want Your Attention

Closing Doors

Surrender

Results

Afterward

About the Author

Recommended Reading List

Notes

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This book would not exist without some

very important people:

With immeasurable gratitude to the Lord, Jesus Christ—who always opens a window.

The faithful followers of Christ who refuse to give into fear and failure—whose stories will forever inspire me. You have made the world a better place.

Every person who has ever prayed for me (too many to count; you know who you are)—without your prayers I would not be where I am today.

My past and present church family and my parents’ church family—my heart is overwhelmed by your presence in my life.

My husband—I am so grateful to God for your strength, faithfulness, and determination, especially through our really dark days. No matter what we go through, I know you will always be my biggest supporter and greatest encourager. That means everything. I love you.

My parents—I honestly don’t know how I would make it through life without you. Your loving example of faith has changed me forever.

My children—I know how much you’ve tolerated over the years, but I also know you will be stronger for it. I’m so grateful for the opportunity to be your mom.

And last, but definitely not least—my grandparents, aunts, uncles, friends, and family who have loved and blessed me more than I could ever say. I love you!

SPECIAL THANKS

Cloe McBride—for her time and talent in the drawing of my front cover picture. You have no idea how grateful I am! Love you, girl.

Jeni Bradley—for so graciously taking time to help me with the design of my cover. Yes, you are creative! Your life inspires me.

My daughter, Amber—for her help with editing and giving me another set of eyes to see. You is kind. You is smart. You is important. Always remember that!

My dear friend Susan Dady and her friend Beth Guckenberger:

Susan—I am so grateful to God for bringing us back together. He always has a plan. Thank you for being there; your friendship means more than I could ever say.

Beth Guckenberger and her husband, Todd, serve as missionaries to the orphan community of Monterrey, Mexico with Back2Back ministries. If not for both Susan and Beth, I would have never thought I could accomplish this work. I have yet to meet Beth, but one day I hope to share with her the impact she’s had in my life. Through her faithfulness, and especially through her book Reckless Faith, I was able to believe that ordinary people really can do extraordinary things when they step out and follow God’s inspiration…

INTRODUCTION

Let’s get over it so we can get on with it!

(The Power of the Overcoming Spirit)

This book is about so many things, but it all starts with journey: A passage of time that takes you from one stage of life to another. Every person has one. Some might be more interesting than others, yet no matter who you are or where you’re from, there is a path of tragedy and success familiar to all of us. It’s often the successes which make the tragic parts more tolerable. But what happens when the pain is so overwhelming, no amount of success can make it better? What then?

In her own brokenness, a friend of mine helped me realize that hurting people don’t want clichés. They don’t want pat answers or the promise of happily ever after. What they’re really looking for is a better way to face their circumstances. They are looking for hope.

Reality can be seriously hard at times. It’s the reason we create so many ways to escape from it, even if it’s for a few precious moments. But our little distractions from reality do not carry us for the long haul. We need something more. We need to learn how to live through the painful parts of life (or sometimes with them) and not be taken over by them. We need to know it’s possible, because happily ever after doesn’t always come.

I am convinced we all have a job to do. That is, if we want to accept it. One of the requirements for this job, however, is an overcoming spirit. To our good fortune, this ability lies within each and every one of us. Sometimes we just need a little help learning how to access it.

First of all, we are precious and priceless in the eyes of God the Father and our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. We are made in His image, so that must be significant. As children of the Most High, we have an amazing opportunity to share our lives with Him and with other image bearers.

God has indeed placed us here for a purpose, and it’s not only to please ourselves. That sort of life is so empty. I believe we are here for a much more fulfilling reason. Now more than ever, this is the time to step out and share our experiences with one another, to dream big and see God change the world through our willingness. As we relate with those around us, we have to understand that human weakness is not something to hide from. Mainly because we can’t; but more importantly because we shouldn’t. Our frailty is the very thing God uses to help us overcome—to show us that only in our weakness will He prove His greatness.

With that in mind, I believe He has placed us here for such a time as this to make our mark on the world and leave behind a mighty legacy of love, courage, purpose, faith, and hope. My desire is that the stories within these pages will help you gain a new perspective on weakness and lead you to the greatest source of comfort and peace ever known.

Adversity works to our advantage when God is involved. If given the chance, He will redeem every wound and failing in your life and give your future the hope you’ve been longing for. Don't wait another minute. And don't do it alone when you don't have to! As you read my story and the stories of other faithful followers of Christ, you will discover how much God loves you, what He gave up to save you, and why you are called His Prized Possession.

He chose to give birth to us by giving us His true Word. And we, out of all creation, became His Prized Possession.

~James 1:18 NLT~

An Unexpected Safe Place

He that dwelleth in the secret place

of the most High shall abide

under the shadow of the Almighty.

~Psalm 91:1 KJV~

It was just after midnight when I had to make the all too familiar decision. The last thing I wanted to do was get out of my own bed and into the one waiting for me, but I couldn’t fight it anymore: this nightmare was now my reality. As each agonizing minute passed more slowly than the one before, all that mattered was getting rid of the pain. It was a little disturbing how much I longed for an IV and a dark room—very unlikely sources of comfort. While there was never enough darkness to make everything disappear, I could usually manage some sleep.

But sleep and rest are two different things. The word restful would not describe any part of my situation. Familiarity can soften the blow sometimes, but the anxiety and discomfort were impossible for me to escape because they were everywhere—they simply felt a bit less intrusive at night. I treasured that quiet reprieve when I could finally close my eyes and pretend I was somewhere else. For some reason, that annoying sensation called fear didn’t feel quite so obvious in the dark.

To be honest, I thought I had learned to cope with all of the emotional angst convincingly well. Fear played such a significant role in my life for so long now that I learned to accept (and expect) it. Regular unpredictability is interestingly … predictable. And fortunately for me I had a little seed of hope, which I held onto for dear life.

What bothered me most was how detached I was getting from the outside world—there were some days I could barely even remember being a part of it. This forced me to consider my existence, especially since I had plenty of time to think (and re-think). I wondered: how is it possible that we can live our whole life one way and within a matter of a few short weeks forget what it was like?

Sometimes the uncertainty was overwhelming. And I didn’t always handle it very well. But just when I thought things would never change, that little spark of hope started getting brighter. I could see something I wasn’t able to see before. It was far from an overnight transformation; the uneasy and restless feelings that once consumed so much of my thinking simply began losing their power. There were still new challenges to face every day, but now they were leading me to find strength in surprising places.

If you look hard enough, I believe you can find something positive in any bad situation. I’ll admit, some bad situations require a lot more work than others, but eventually something good will emerge. I’m not saying the bad goes away, necessarily; it just has less control over you. As I faced the confusion and isolation of my own recurring circumstances, a couple of things became increasingly clear: Most importantly, the human spirit is quite a powerful force to reckon with. Secondly, we are capable of adjusting to almost any environment when we know we have to.

Adjusting and adapting are our survival instincts. And of course they only occur under the right conditions—usually not very pleasant ones. Without question my conditions were physical. But the emotional effects of physical illness can often seem much more significant. Fear, anger, loneliness, and depression are only a few of the undesirables associated with this battle. And although they were familiar to me too, I struggled most with the unknown. My situation was constantly changing, and it was hard not to feel helpless in it.

So, I had a choice to make: I could either wallow in my helplessness or determine to find some comfort in spite of it. I guess that’s why I looked forward to the peace and quiet of night as much as I did. There was something about it that made the unpredictable activities of the day a little more bearable.

Evenings in the hospital were like an entirely different world. I know it seems hard to believe, but I cherished many of them. Even when the pain was so bad I thought I might not live through one more minute of it, I could feel the power of an unseen presence. Now I understand that I had to be weak in order to see it. Much like stars in the sky: They are a constant source of energy and light, but we can’t appreciate their brilliance until darkness takes over. That’s when they show their true glory.

It’s obvious how much we need the darkness, in many ways. But we can’t live there. Everyone would agree that daylight and nightlight create balance in our lives: the darkness provides healing and restoration while the sun provides energy and reassurance. And under normal conditions, this system works rather well. But when the conditions aren’t normal, everything gets distorted. I’m not exactly sure why this happens, but the sunlight that was once so reassuring to your soul turns into an enemy. Instead of being warm and welcoming, it irritates every nerve inside of you. It’s hard not to see things that way when you feel like a prisoner to your own body. Life continued to go on around me, of course, but I often wondered if I would ever be strong enough to enjoy it again.

I had to make the best of my situation; there was no getting around it. I read books and magazines to pass the time, wrote in my journal, listened to my iPod, and occasionally turned on the TV. But those things only go so far when you’re limited to a bed and the halls of a hospital floor. The clock in front of me kept ticking away the hours, but the more I looked at it the more slowly it seemed to move. I watched it impatiently, listening for sounds of the third shift change—so thankful when the room was a dark and quiet place again. It was the perfect setting to be left alone with my own thoughts. For a few precious hours there were no nurses, needles, or tests—just me and God—and I was beginning to treasure it.

There really wasn’t anything else to do but accept where I was, with the reassurance that one day I would be a stronger person because of it. At least that’s what I held onto. I have come to believe God truly does accomplish His best work in the dark.

If you’ve ever felt comfort in the uncomfortable, you’ll understand what I’m talking about. It’s unexpected and surprising, yet completely amazing. It brings you to a place where you can sense there is something bigger—you can’t see it, but you know it’s holding you. Our human limitations become increasingly visible here, let me tell you. I know I’m rather a lightweight when it comes to brawn and strength, but ask a 250 lb man who’s fighting cancer or any sort of disease; I’m pretty sure this idea of frailty is painfully real for them too.

But it isn’t all bad. (You do have to intend to see it this way, though.) When curious relief comes through our discomfort, it is a welcome interruption—much like the calm in a storm. I learned to appreciate this condition quite well after spending numerous days in total dependence on another human being. I guess you might say God was revealing some things I could learn no other way.

The frailty of our humanness can be terribly surprising at times. It sure took me by surprise. Only when I faced the possibility of death did I truly understand how little control I had over anything—how little control any of us have. But perseverance is amazing. Even in our most natural (frail) condition, it shows up as a powerful ally to cheer us on. I love how God created us with such a unique ability (even desire) to fight for that last breath. In other words: to persevere.

We know it’s a gift. Deep down inside we know life is precious. If we didn’t believe that, we would simply give up. (And this is for those who want to do just that.) We’re amazing creatures, you and I. We have been marked and formed by majestic hands, the hands of an eternal and perfect being—by a God who creates galaxies and oceans with the mere sound of His voice, who is big enough to maintain and order the universe, yet longs to be with us. What a beautiful mystery.

I like to think I know this God I’m talking about—that He and I have a pretty good relationship. But there are definitely times I don’t get it. Whenever I’m a bit overwhelmed with life, I feel desperate to understand why our world is so broken. I want to believe there is a sense of justice and fairness, but I don’t often see it. I trust in God’s sovereignty (that He’s still in control and knows what’s best for me); I guess I want to feel Him working in my life more than I do. Maybe I’m to blame for that. As hard as it is to accept, those sacred moments—when I feel Him most—usually happen when I’m falling apart.

Sometimes all we have left is our story. And God is prepared to make something beautiful of it. Whether life is good at this moment (or we actually are falling apart), there is an adventure ahead of us—if we choose. We can walk in fear and anxiety, or we can take a different path. I like to think of this path as our road to freedom. It sure is a long road at times, but it doesn’t have to be pointless and mundane. This is a road where even our mistakes can be used for good, and regardless of the many detours we take, there is always a way to get back on track.

God is very involved in what’s going on here with us—it wouldn’t even make sense for Him not to be. I am confident He is not at all surprised or confused by anything that happens on planet earth. He put you here for a reason and a purpose; please don’t ever doubt that. You get one life. It’s pretty important. Just know you can do something great with the time you’ve been given.

Time

These questions are probably familiar to you: ‘Can you tell me what time it is?’ ‘How much time do you need?’ ‘Is it that time already?’ or ‘Where did all the time go?’ I am pondering that last question a lot lately, as my twenty-year-old son finishes his time in the United States Army and my daughter begins her first year of college.

Where does the time go? I wonder. It seems so far away when you’re holding a newborn baby in your arms—their whole life ahead of them, with endless possibilities. Their time on earth is precious to you as a parent. It is also precious to God. After all, we are His workmanship, and He hasn’t created anything by accident yet.

It can be difficult to understand how God works beyond time and space, especially when we know He created it for us. I am sure I’m not the only one who’s wished for more hours in the day or thought that work should actually begin when I get there—mainly because I always seem to be running late. For some odd reason I must enjoy the challenge of trying to beat that unforgiving clock.

Time makes us crazy. Deadlines, overnight packages, flight schedules, meetings, sports games, dinner reservations, you name it—everything we do in our life revolves around start and end times. And with the invention of smart phones, there are fewer excuses for being late or missing an appointment (although I’m sure I could come up with one). It sort of makes me wish we could return to simpler times, when people picked up a pen to write letters and the phone was something we used for talking.

Unfortunately, no amount of wishful thinking will ever bring us back to those days. Whether we like it or not our world is busier than ever. For many people, the twenty-four hours we’ve been given isn’t nearly enough to accomplish everything on our plate. For others those hours can’t go by fast enough. No matter which one of these is true for you, there is a common thread we all share: the desire to change a few things in our life—past and present.

Imagine if someone asked you to sit down and write a story about your life. How would you describe it? Would you say time has been a pretty good friend? Not perfect by any means, but still, there isn’t much you would change. Or does it feel more like a relentless enemy, reminding you of all your past mistakes and failures? These reminders can take on the form of many things, but from my experience, regret is almost always a part of it. Despite our effort to push it aside, the shame and guilt from regret shows up in our broken relationships, hurtful words, and poor choices. Even missed opportunities can leave us wishing we had said or done something different.

No matter how we try, it seems as though the life we dreamed of—the one we planned so carefully for—is impossibly far away. We make do with what we have and manage our daily routine all right, but that persistent longing for hope never goes away. We get up, we work, we eat, we rest—and in the midst of all this activity, try to find some happiness.

The search for happiness is a reasonable human condition. After all, who doesn’t want to be happy? It is sad, though, when you think about the extremes people go through to get it. Then, when we finally achieve what we think happiness is, we only want more. It’s never enough. One reason for this is that material things (and even people) were never meant to satisfy us completely. For me, no one describes this condition better than King Solomon—a fairly prominent character in biblical history. Mentioned several times in the Old Testament, his most notable experiences are found in the Book of Ecclesiastes. If you love pondering the meaning of life, Solomon will give you a lot to think about here, that’s for sure.

One of my favorite verses is Ecclesiastes 6:12 (NLT): The few days of our meaningless lives, who knows how our days can best be spent? Our lives are like a shadow. Who can tell what will happen on this earth after we are gone? In other words, let’s make the most of what we have right now. Even wealth cannot guarantee tomorrow for anyone. The days are short, sometimes too short, and we need to put some serious effort in discovering what is genuinely important.

As the son of a great king, Solomon had more wealth and power than he knew what to do with, yet he couldn’t see the point of it. The comfort of his extravagance could not make up for the emptiness in his soul and it forced him to dig a little deeper. He began to genuinely ponder the meaningless nature of what we value most as human beings, what we obsess over, and how those things only satisfy for a short time. Interestingly, this is how he described his own life:

So I became greater than all who had lived in Jerusalem before me, and my wisdom never failed me. Anything I wanted, I would take. I denied myself no pleasure. I even found great pleasure in hard work, a reward for all my labors. But as I looked at everything I had worked so hard to accomplish, it was all so meaningless—like chasing the wind. There was nothing really worthwhile anywhere (Ecclesiastes 2:9-11 NLT).

The part of this confession that really resonates with me is the fact that Solomon didn’t just observe soul depravity, he lived it. He understood the reality of who we truly are apart from God. So I decided there is nothing better than to enjoy food and drink and to find satisfaction in work. Then I realized that these pleasures are from the hand of God. For who can eat or enjoy anything apart from him? (Ecclesiastes 2:24-25 NLT) Of course, he was absolutely right. Unfortunately, he didn’t always follow his own advice. Some scholars believe Ecclesiastes is his lament toward drifting away from the covering and blessing of the Lord. In his heart of hearts, I truly believe Solomon understood God’s love; he wanted to honor Him. Like many of us, he simply allowed distractions into his life, which in turn led to disobedience.

It’s important that we see the struggle throughout these passages. It wasn’t all about Hey, I love God. And you know what? It’s so easy to trust and obey Him; I don’t know why so many people have such a hard time with it. Instead, it was a real honest expression of God-given wisdom. Although his words are sometimes cutting and painful, they are completely genuine; they shamelessly expose real life and real consequences. They show us the result of walking away from absolute truth and how we stand to benefit from obedience to our Creator—that God’s standards are there to protect us, not deprive us.

Like many of us, I think Solomon was just tired of empty living, of searching for the good life. In fact, I think he does a pretty good job of describing our world today. (The human heart doesn’t change all that much.) While he may have a tendency to be a gloomy Gus at times, you simply can’t dismiss his authority, counsel, and insight—not only in Ecclesiastes but also in Proverbs and the Song of Solomon as well.

But there’s more here than just wise words from an insightful king. Some unexpected humor plays a welcome part in his quest for truth. I almost have to laugh (respectably, of course) at the way Solomon interprets life around him. Even as he extols the virtues of beauty, wisdom, and youth; all of that is repeatedly overshadowed by one little word. It’s a timeless concept, really. No matter how beautiful, pleasurable, or comfortable his life becomes, he concludes that in the end it is all meaningless!

Light is sweet, and it pleases the eyes to see the sun. However many years a man may live, let him enjoy them all. But let him remember the days of darkness, for they will be many. Everything to come is meaningless. Be happy, young man, while you are young, and let your heart give you joy in the days of your youth. Follow the ways of your heart and whatever your eyes see, but know that for all these things God will bring you judgment. So then, banish anxiety from your heart and cast off the troubles of your body, for youth and vigor are meaningless (Ecclesiastes 11:7-10).

I know he wasn’t trying to make light of our existence or emphasize a life of despair, but his time on earth was much different than ours. One thing we need to remember is that although Solomon knew God, he did not know Jesus. The great heroes and saints of the Old Testament did not understand salvation the way we know it. Their faith was credited to them as righteousness, but there was no freedom from sin through the Cross, no hope of a risen Savior—at least in their lifetime. The great news for us is that we can experience that redeeming hope. We can discover the privilege of knowing a Savior who defines our purpose and gives us life!

An Answer in the

Face of Trouble

So, how does a Savior give purpose and life you might ask? Well, if you’re ready to dig a little deeper, you will find some incredible promises waiting to be discovered. These promises are full of possibility, supplying the greatest riches of life and everything your heart has ever desired. You will work hard. It may be dark and lonely and tiring, but the reward will blow you away.

Can you do it? Will you choose to see God’s ever-present involvement in your life? Your ticket’s been paid for, now all you have to do is receive it. Go ahead, ask the questions. Pursue your passions with confidence and integrity. Step out of what you’ve always expected. I assure you, there is much more to this life than most of us are actually walking in.

Even as the Creation story unfolds in the first chapter of Genesis, it confirms that we have indeed been set us apart for great things. There is no other species quite like us. With the gifting of God’s inspired genius, our abilities for creating beautiful music and art; reasoning through ideas and making decisions; designing, building, and planning all sorts of things, have no doubt shaped the world around us. They’re all rather impressive. But they wouldn’t mean anything without someone to share them with.

In spite of everything that makes us special, it is our desire and need for meaningful relationships that truly sets us apart. The significance of this is evidenced by how God related with Adam and Eve. He spoke directly to them and walked with them in cool of the day! Can you even imagine? His interaction with them was very unlike the rest of His creation. In fact, He gave them dominion over every living thing. By the very nature of being human, we are supremely unique, but more than that, we are the only ones with the breath, life, and image of our Creator dwelling inside of us.

So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. God blessed them and said to them, Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground (Genesis 1:27-28).

Have you ever wondered how or why God even came up with the idea for human life? What is it that makes us so special and what on earth are we here for anyway? At one time or another we’ve all had these questions pass through our minds. If you don’t think this is true, simply go to the bookstore and you’ll find countless books written about our human experience—especially when it involves any kind of pain, suffering, faith, or finding our purpose.

In addition to all the questions, you just cannot get into the whole meaning of life discussion without bringing up the idea that there is something bigger out there—something unseen and possibly beyond our understanding. Believing in the unknown is what we do; it’s built into us from the time we’re born. Essentially, this is where faith begins.

Most people would agree that faith relates to religion or a strong, unshakeable belief in something without proof or evidence; a trust in something that must be there, only we can’t see it. I think one of the reasons for such debate over this topic is because we’re all searching for the same thing—truth. Every one of us is made with a deep, inherent desire to find truth in our lives, whatever that might mean for you. If you don’t look for it in an all-powerful Creator, you will look for it in something else, guaranteed.

From the beginning of time, man has searched for meaning and significance. And when we’re hurting, we want answers. It’s that simple. If we believe in God, the Creator of all living things, do we see Him as a loving father or an oppressive judge? Do we trust Him to provide answers for everything that troubles our hearts?

Looking at the world around us, it’s painfully obvious we all struggle with these heart (or soul) issues. Our rational minds want to make sense of all the stuff that gets stirred up in our souls—the doubts, the questions, the choices, the joys, the passion, the pain. It can be very hard to reason through the things we believe in, especially when our minds can’t always explain it. We desperately want to understand what life is all about—specifically, our own life. Is it possible to know there is some true purpose behind it, or are we here simply by chance? Can our important issues and concerns be settled through the wisdom of other human beings?

The history books prove humanity has worked awfully hard to achieve something so powerful, so incredibly confident and secure; but often we never find the answers we’re searching for. In fact, many times we end up more confused. It’s not that we lack men and women of great knowledge or even moral goodness; we’re just missing the point when we ignore the source of all that greatness.

There is this belief that we, in and of ourselves, are it—we can do anything we set our minds to. And to some extent that’s true. But the driving force behind all of our ambition and understanding is bigger than the scope of what our minds are even capable of. When we get a hold of the idea that God is not a created being, that He does not operate within the confines of our humanity or our abilities—when we believe He is the source of all life and that it is impossible to fully understand His ways—only then will we see why our wisdom is so limited.

Please don’t misunderstand me; we are terribly valuable to God—valuable enough to die for. But He is, after all, the Creator. And we are the creation. For this reason, 1 Corinthians 3:18-20 (NLT) says:

Stop deceiving yourselves. If you think you are wise by this world’s standards, you need to become a fool to be truly wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness to God. As the scriptures say, he traps the wise in the snare of their own cleverness. And again, the Lord knows the thoughts of the wise; he knows they are worthless.

I am aware that not everyone believes this way. If you’ve been hurt by life, I understand how easy it is to blame God—to see why He might feel so very far away and couldn’t possibly offer anything to your damaged heart. But if given the chance, I’d love to change the way you see things, to open your mind to this very possibility: that God is for you; He loves you enough to give everything; and He wants to transform your life into something far greater than anything you’ve imagined.

Although it hasn’t always been easy, this journey has taught me some valuable things. Most importantly that self-sufficiency is miserable. Trying to fix our own problems sounds honorable, but usually it just leads to more pain and disappointment. Sadly, this is what we’re taught—to find the strength within ourselves to just get over it and get on with life, often with a prescription in our hand. Believe it or not, many of the mental and physical issues we battle in our culture today are caused by drugs, not helped. This makes it much harder to deal with our reality.

Granted, some of us may have a better strategy for rising above or beating the odds than others, but if you’re dealing with a troubled heart, sometimes you have to deal with the past. I know we often want to ignore it, but God designed our brain with the ability to have memories for a reason. He also knows that holding onto painful ones are not good for us. We have to face it, deal with it, and move on. This is a lot easier said than done, unfortunately.

The truth is that not all of us have one specific event from our past that has affected the way we live and behave, but certainly everyone has been touched by some degree of pain or loss. It’s unavoidable in a broken world. If you happen to be at a place right now where you need healing for that brokenness, I believe you will find it here. As you keep reading, I know the stories within these pages will inspire you. They may even encourage you to stretch your imagination and challenge your own convictions. Even with the overly-abundant spiritual and self-help books available to us, there are no easy answers. Believe me, I’ve looked for them too. What I can offer you here is a different perspective—one that leads to the only