25. Finding Hope in Hard Things

During the month of March on this podcast, we’ve been telling story after story from March 11 and the terrible earthquake that struck Japan 10 years ago. I was surprised when headlines in the news the other day read, “March 11: The Day Everything Changed,” but the articles were not talking about one of the most devastating earthquakes in recorded history but about the day one year ago that the World Health Organization officially declared COVID-19 a pandemic. So for all of us in Japan, 3/11 is now a double anniversary. And in my family’s case, a triple anniversary since my wedding anniversary also falls on 3/11!

The trauma that people have experienced this year, and the trauma that people have experienced 10 years ago, will impact them their whole lives. So many lives were lost, and there’s nothing we can do to bring them back. There are just some things in this world that can never be fixed. So, what do we do with that? Do we just despair? Do we just curse God and die? If we don’t make a conscious effort to do otherwise, this trauma will not only ruin our lives but the lives of everyone around us as well, and I’ve seen that time and time again here in Japan. There are many stories, which I am not going to share now, but they hurt. This pain, this suffering, this death, this loss … I’ve known too many lives here destroyed by these things.

To wrestle with this question a little more, I’ve invited Pierce Taylor Hibbs to come on the show. He is the author of Finding Hope In Hard Things: A Positive Take on Suffering. The major theme of his book is that hard things do not have to lead to despair or more brokenness. Listen in to hear what the Bible tells us about how suffering is a tool in the hands of God.

Read more about Pierce Taylor Hibbs on his website.