Can there be joy within heartache? Jessica Edwards reviews a helpful book from Catherine Campbell.

 Searching for God’s Promises in the Rain

Many times I’ve sat beside a weary Christian and heard the cry, ‘God feels so far away’. Naturally in the darkest moments of life we feel so alone, and because of how overwhelming the grief and pain feels we usually assume that God is far away. But is that true?

I first heard Catherine Campbell speak at a women’s conference in Manchester in November 2019. I was sat in a stuffy conference hall, excitedly waiting to hear what this lilting Irishwoman had to say. Having previously read her inspiring book, ‘Broken works best’, it was a wonderful moment putting a voice to the words I’d read. As she shared with us the brokenness of a mother’s heart, I placed a protective hand over my very pregnant bump. I wondered silently, how would I react if my baby was born with a life-altering disability?

Life is not always fair ….

That question niggled at the back of my mind throughout the last few weeks of pregnancy and even now as my little boy rolls around the floor, a chunky baby growing so fast, the doubts are never far away. If something happened to my baby, if he had a condition that shortened his life, what would I say to God?

Society is always reminding me that my life isn’t fair. I don’t have the latest technology, my hair doesn’t shine like the advertising models and I will always be stuck wearing uncomfortable glasses. I have rights – isn’t that what everyone is calling for now? I have the right to remain miserable because I don’t have it all and to feel like everything I’m going through is unfair.

In shattering contrast, I read this in my Bible, “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.” Isaiah 43:2

What a warning, if ever I saw one! God is reminding me that having faith in Him isn’t a life of fairness. I will still walk through suffering. I will mourn death, my heart will break again and the fight will not end before I die.

Why doesn’t the Bible tell me everything is going to be okay? Isn’t that what the world is saying?

Then I read, ‘Under the Rainbow’, by Catherine Campbell. What a powerful book! Catherine shares the story of her suffering; the loss of both her beautiful daughters and the battle of anger and bitterness that welled up in her soul. But ultimately she describes the healing she found through choosing to trust God’s promises even as she grieved.

Pain doesn’t always go away ….

As Catherine points out so clearly in her story, Jesus doesn’t promise a life of luxury. What He does promise, which is worth far more, is to carry us through the brokenness of life. Catherine learnt to let go of the bitterness in her heart, knowing that through the unimaginable pain of losing two children, God was still right beside her.

How challenged I am to pursue a faith in God that means I can truly say, ‘I am overwhelmed with pain, but Jesus I know that You are still with me.’

If you are noticing Christians and thinking that maybe all our problems are gone and somehow the struggles just disappear as we follow God, you are wrong! Oh if only that were true. The ugly truth is we suffer just as much as anyone. The pain is as raw, the heartache as constant.

The one thing that keeps us going is the knowledge that although we do not understand the suffering and we wish life were fair, we are being carried by a God who is bigger than whatever it is that’s overwhelming us.

This doesn’t take away the pain, but it does replace bitterness with joy. Joy in knowing that there is something better to come, that the promise of Heaven is given to those who believe.

When God promised Noah he would never flood the world again (Genesis 9), He gave a lasting reminder to future generations; a rainbow painted in the sky. Every time a rainbow appears after the rain, it brings me such joy, because it is areminder  to me that God keeps His promises.

‘When you pass through the waters, I will be with you.’ Isaiah 43:2

‘Under the Rainbow’ by Catherine Campbell can be found on 10ofthose at the link below. If you are struggling to find God in heartache or grief, this book can be a comfort in your loneliness. You are not alone, so have courage to ask for support as you reach for God in the darkness.

https://www.10ofthose.com/uk/products/15988/under-the-rainbow

Jessica Edwards lives by the coast in North Wales, where she is a busy full time wife and mum. While her son is asleep she continues her creative writing, praying that her work will glorify God and encourage those who read it. She shares book reviews, publishing news and more at her personal blog: www.hurricanelove.weebly.com