The Journey of “Even Then”: Finding Faith When Life Gets Real
Let's talk about those days when everything seems to go wrong. You know the ones – when the car breaks down right after paying a massive medical bill, or when that relationship you invested in falls apart, or when the job you counted on suddenly disappears. It's in these moments that faith gets real and messy.
I was recently sitting in rush hour traffic, already running late, when I got a call about a family emergency. In that frustrated moment, I remembered something powerful about faith—it's not about having it all together.
This reminds me of David in the Bible. Before he became king, he spent years running for his life, hiding in caves, probably wondering if God had forgotten about him completely. In Psalm 13:1, he literally cries out, "How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever?" Now that's relatable – no fancy religious language, just raw honesty with God.
Here's the thing about faith that often gets missed: it's not about plastering on a smile and pretending everything's fine. When Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsemane, he was so stressed that he sweat drops of blood (Luke 22:44). He wasn't afraid to tell God exactly how he felt about what was coming. Yet he still chose to trust.
Think about Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Standing before a literal furnace, they said something incredible: "Our God can save us... but even if he doesn't, we're still not bowing down" (Daniel 3:17-18, paraphrased). That's real faith – not a guarantee that everything will work out the way we want, but a decision to trust God regardless.
Sometimes faith looks like crying in your car during lunch break but still whispering "I trust you, God." It's paying those bills with your last dollars while remembering God's promise to provide, even if you can't see how. It's showing up to church when your heart is broken, not because you feel like it, but because you're choosing to believe God is still good.
"The rose symbolizes the divine paradox: that which protects also produces beauty, and that which seems to cause pain also creates strength. For just as the thorns guard the delicate bloom, they also teach us that life's most precious gifts often come with their own challenges. Yet it is this very combination - the softness of the petals and the sharpness of the thorns - that makes the rose complete in its purpose and perfect in its design."
It reminds me of 2 Corinthians 4:17-18, which shares a similar theme about beauty and purpose emerging from difficulty: "For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."
Paul talks about his "thorn in the flesh" in 2 Corinthians 12:9. We don't know exactly what it was, but we know it bothered him enough to beg God three times to take it away. God's response wasn't to remove it but to say, "My grace is enough." Sometimes that's our story too – not a miraculous removal of our problems, but the strength to keep going despite them.
You might be in an "even then" season right now. Maybe you're reading this during a sleepless night, wondering how things will work out. Perhaps you're fighting back tears at work, trying to hold it together. Remember this: Jesus promised we would have trouble in this world (John 16:33) – he was just honest about it. But he also promised he'd be with us through it all.
Faith isn't about having all the answers. It's about trusting that the One who holds the universe together is holding you too, even when your world feels like it's falling apart. Even when the diagnosis isn't good. Even when the relationship doesn't heal. Even when the questions don't have answers.
Because at the end of the day, faith isn't about everything going right. It's about believing that God is still good, even when everything goes wrong. And sometimes, that's enough to take one more step forward.
Remember, you're not alone in this. Every saint in history had their "even then" moments. And somehow, through grace we may never understand, that's exactly where faith grows deepest.