Guest Writer: Crystal Olson
Reaching Up, Reaching Out
Fires, floods, wars, disease, poverty…A cursory glance at the news will show you any number of heartbreaks around our country and the world. If you could peek into any home in your hometown, you will see similar heartache: divorce, sickness, loss of employment, loss of a loved one, etc. It seems that none of us are immune to hard times. Jesus taught that in this world we would have trouble (John 16:33), so it should come as no surprise that all of us, at one time or another, will endure hardships. Some people seem to go through the worst devastation and heart aches and their faith never falters. At the same time, the faith of others seems to stumble and fall. When you get that dreaded phone call, when the doctor gives you the worst news, what do you reach for?
I’ve always admired the psalmist David, I have found the book of Psalms one of the first places I turn to when I am going through difficulties. What amazes me time and again is David praises God always. It doesn’t matter what difficulties he is going through; he is still reaching for God, raising his hands up in praise.
“I will extol the Lord at all times; His praise shall always be on my lips.” Psalm 34:1
David doesn’t just praise God when he’s slaying giants and being crowned king. He praises God when he’s running for his life and hiding in caves. When he feels like he’s alone in the world and everyone is out to get him, he is still praising God. When I turn to the book of Psalms it puts my problems into perspective. It’s not that my problems aren’t important or that God doesn’t care, because God does! However, it shifts my focus off myself and my struggles. When my focus is on the One who created me and is in control of all things, I find peace and rest. Isn’t that what God promised us in Mathew 11:28? “Come to me all who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest”
The book of Psalms is also full of God’s attributes. When we learn more about who God is, we grow into a deeper relationship with Him. That leads us to want to praise Him even more. We know we can give our problems to Him, rest in who God is and truly praise Him, regardless of the circumstances. Reaching up to God in praise should be our first knee-jerk reaction, not only in the happy times, but especially in the hard times.
God tells us to “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ,” Galatians 6:2. God doesn’t want or expect us to get through this world’s troubles on our own, we need fellow believers. After first reaching up in praise to God, reach out. God wants us to reach out in love and take care of each other. This one sounds a little easier than praising God in the sunshine and the storms, but it’s not. It’s still a denial of self to put others first. This isn’t easy to do when time and funds are tight or when emotions are raw. There’s no better time to realize that we aren’t the only ones going through hard times. It once again gets the focus away from self. We often don’t have to look very far for these burdens of others to become obvious. God puts people in our lives for a reason. Often, those very troubles we have endured God can turn into a way of connecting and guiding others that are going through something similar. While reaching out to help others, we often learn that our troubles may seem quite small compared to some of the giants our neighbors are facing.
How often do we go through the motions of asking people how they are doing after church, but rarely listen for an answer? If they do answer honestly, are we prepared to respond in love and genuine care? What if we sought out those honest answers? What if we asked specific questions about how we can pray for them and how we can help? Telling someone to reach out if they need something is not enough, because they won’t. Don’t put the responsibility on them, reach out to them! President Theodore Roosevelt is credited with the saying, “No one cares how much you know until they know how much you care.” The best way to share God’s love is to first reach out to someone in need and show His love through actions.
Admittedly, I don’t do either of these as well as I wish I did. When that phone call comes, or the doctor gives the bad news, I don’t always reach up in praise first. But I’m learning. I know from the struggles we’ve had and the struggles that are yet to come that I’ve got lots of opportunities to practice. I’m also an introvert by nature, so reaching out is a struggle for me. But I know it matters. Ultimately, I know it’s not about me, but about Him. In this world, I will have troubles, but I will keep reaching up to Him in praise, reaching for His Word, and reaching out to those He loves.
Crystal Olson lives in rural Niobrara County Wyoming; she and her husband Chris have three children. She spends her time taking care of her family, homeschooling her two oldest, and chasing a very busy toddler. When not homeschooling, she can be found at her kids’ sporting events, 4-H activities, and volunteering as a 4-H leader. Crystal loves everything to do with livestock and ranching. She is passionate about homeschooling and encouraging other families in their homeschool journey. While there is rarely time for hobbies, Crystal enjoys researching her family’s ancestry, photography, writing, and reading a good book.
