January 2015 Bulletin: Don't Give Up On God

Lead article from the January 2015 bulletin, online now.

Lyrics from Casting Crowns, “Praise You in this Storm”

I was sure by now

God You would have reached down

And wiped our tears away

Stepped in and saved the day

But once again, I say "Amen,"

and it's still raining

As the thunder rolls

I barely hear Your whisper through the rain

"I'm with you"

And as Your mercy falls

I raise my hands and praise the God who gives

And takes away

And I'll praise You in this storm

And I will lift my hands

For You are who You are

No matter where I am

And every tear I've cried

You hold in Your hand

You never left my side

And though my heart is torn

I will praise You in this storm

It is easy to Praise God when everything is going well for you and your family; on the same token we find it all to easy to curse God when things don’t go the way we planned.  I know all too well from experience how easy it is to get frustrated and give up on God.  Many of you know part of my story and for those who don’t, you soon will.  The Holidays are always tough on us for my wife and I have lost many pregnancies over the years, the hardest of which is the loss of my son Connor who was still born at 36 weeks.  It took me a while to get over this loss and I did a ton of blaming everyone from my wife to the doctors to God.  It has been over 10 years already and I can’t help but think how things could have been.  As I reflect on this and the other losses I see that this helped form me into who I am today.  It helped me to realize that I was on the wrong path and I needed to bring God back into my family.  So I guess what I am saying that even in your darkest hour, God is still with you and will help you along your journey if you help him.  I still find myself wandering and from time to time; I am still a work in progress, I guess.  But I know that if I stay strong in my faith and help my family stay strong in their faith we can make it through anything.

I remember when

I stumbled in the wind

You heard my cry to you

And you raised me up again

My strength is almost gone

How can I carry on

If I can't find You

But as the thunder rolls

I barely hear You whisper through the rain

"I'm with you"

And as Your mercy falls

I raise my hands and praise the God who gives

And takes away

I lift my eyes unto the hills

Where does my help come from?

My help comes from the Lord

The Maker of Heaven and Earth

My little words of advice: even though you can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel, keep your faith and keep moving forward.  No matter what life brings you -- the ups, downs, twists, and turns -- don’t turn your back on your faith and know that God is with you on your journey.

God Bless,

Jim Wiegers

Grand Knight