The Back of the Tapestry

 

Sometimes life gives us a punch in the gut. You know the feeling…

You feel like the wind has been knocked out of you as you try to make sense of the circumstances in front of you. You search at that moment for stable ground; something to grab on to, but it feels like you are stumbling in the dark.

It is often in the darkest valleys—where the path is obscured by grief or confusion—that the light of God’s sovereignty feels most distant, yet is actually most present. When life feels like a collection of broken pieces, it is easy to feel as though the narrative has slipped out of the Author's hands. However, the Bible reminds us that God is not a distant observer of our pain, but an active Weaver of our days.

The cornerstone of maintaining peace during heartbreak is found in the specific wording of Paul’s exhortation to the church at Thessalonica:

"Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, NKJV)

There is a vital theological distinction here that protects us from cynicism. Paul does not command us to give thanks for the tragedy, the illness, or the betrayal. We do not praise God for the presence of sin or its painful effects on this fallen world. Instead, we are called to praise in the midst of those circumstances.

Praising in the trial is a profound act of spiritual warfare. It is an acknowledgment that while the situation is bad, God remains good. It is a declaration that:

His Character is Unchanged: The same God who is with us on the mountaintop of joy is sustaining us in the pit of despair.

His Sovereignty is Absolute: Nothing touches the life of a believer that has not first passed through His hands. Even when we cannot trace His hand, we can trust His heart.

His Perspective is Eternal: On "this side of heaven," we see only the back of the tapestry—a tangled mess of dark threads and knots, that don't seem to be forming any kind of distinctive picture that we can understand. But, we live with the confident hope that God is looking at the front of the tapestry, where every dark thread is being used to create a masterpiece for His glory. A beautiful picture being weaved with his very hands.

Trusting God through the heartbreaking parts of life means moving from a "why" faith to an "even if" faith. We may never receive an explanation for our "why" in this lifetime, but we have the promise of His presence. We praise Him because, even in the confusion, He is working all things together for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28). Weaving all things together...

We don't have to understand the plan to trust the Planner. Our praise is not an emotional reaction to good news; it is a sacrificial offering based on the eternal truth that God has it all under control, even when all we see is a tangled mess.

One day we'll see the front of that beautiful tapestry called our life and understand. Until then, we praise him in the storm and trust him in the circumstances this side of heaven.

-Pastor Patti