While I was waiting for repairs on my pickup, an older lady joined me in the car dealer’s waiting room. We got into a conversation about the upcoming Christmas season. Then we got around to talking about our families and involvement in our own churches.

Some 30 years ago, she lost her husband to cancer. She also lost two sons to the disease. Despite her church involvement, she was angry with God. Yet she remains faithful. Her story reminded me so much of the Bible’s Old Testament story of Job. We talked about how much Job had lost and how much some of his friends encouraged him to “lash out” at God. Yet he remained faithful. He never went incommunicado with God.

Rather, like my new friend, he expressed his frustration at times. But he still acknowledged that God was in charge, and ultimately that everything would work out in the end. And it did.

Trust is sometimes tested
How often do you see things going in a direction you don’t particularly like? It might involve the health of a loved one, a financial difficulty on the farm or in your household, or something else where despite your best effort things go wrong. At times like these, we need to remind ourselves that God is always there for us. He eagerly awaits our calling out to him, even if it might be in total despair.

Remember, God is and always will be in charge. He wants to hear from us, even if our conversation isn’t always full of gratitude and praise. Ultimately, he wins! And because of Christ, we win, too.

Wayne Knerr, Woodstown, N.J.

Knerr is a member of the South Jersey chapter of Fellowship of Christian Farmers International. For more about FCFI, visit fcfi.org.