I Still BelieveExemplo

DAY 2 Title: Where is God? “This lovely woman is Mama June…she was my senior high teacher,”  - Russ Devotional Content: The Bible tells us that God will never leave us or forsake us. Those are powerful words but there are times in our lives when that truth seems to be out of our reach. Thomas was 10 when his dad died. A few weeks later his mother brought him to me for counseling. His dad’s death was not a heart attack or cancer. Thomas’s dad took his own life. The first time he came in we were shooting baskets on the downsized basketball goal in my office. I just wanted to connect with him at some level. After about 20 minutes of shooting hoops, Thomas held the ball, looked me in the eye and said, “Did you know that my dad killed himself?” I love kids and their ability to get to the heart to the matter quickly. I said, “Yes, I know.” Thomas began telling me stories about his dad and how much he loved him and how he cried himself to sleep each night because he was so sad. Thomas said, “My dad always took us to church. Dad baptised me when I was just 7. I don’t want to go to church anymore because I really am mad at God for this. I don’t know where God is anymore.” There were so many wrong things that I could have said at that point but instead I just sat there with him as he cried. Finally as our session was ending, I said, “Sometimes when I have been hurting, I couldn’t find God either but then later on I realized He had been there the whole time. I just couldn’t see Him.” It was a rough two years for Thomas and his mom. There was so much to deal with. Death is never easy and suicide adds another huge layer. I was privileged to stay in Thomas’s life all the way through high school. I wish I could tell you there was some great miraculous thing that happened in his life, but it didn’t. Instead God provided a never-ending series of small events that shaped and molded him into an amazing young man. God did not bring just one man into Thomas’s life to mentor him; God brought five. Five amazing men, each with different gifts and abilities. Then there were teachers, coaches and neighbors that poured into him. When Thomas turned 16 he said these words to me, “You know when you told me that God is always there even when we don’t see Him? I know what you mean now. I don’t think He ever left me.” Today’s Challenge: Think of a time in your life when you thought God left you, but looking back now, you can see He was there. [The video portion of this devotional is not available on your device. To view this video, visit your plan at www.Bible.com]