Sisters of Grace

This morning I woke up thinking about how lonely life can be in times of great discouragement and distress. We all have been in times of suffering and it seemed that we had to walk through that alone. I thought of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, and his disappointment in his closest friends. He asked the disciples to go with him to watch and pray a yet they fell asleep! Jesus in his frustration asks them “What! Could you not watch with me one hour?” He told them repeatedly, that he was going to be taken soon, and he knew the urgency to pray. However they just didn’t seemed to understand the weight of pressure upon Jesus.

What situation have you walked through that you felt utterly alone, or like no one understood what you were going through? I remember the first time I studied Matthew 26, it was prior to a very difficult situation I was about to face. I look back now and see that God was preparing me for the grief and loss that I was going to soon experience. On April 14, 2022 I felt strongly about this story, I kept hearing references to it and I knew it meant something. About a month before this day, I had found out I was pregnant! I was very excited, I had already announced my pregnancy to family and friends. Then four days after studying this passage, I found out that I had suffered a silent miscarriage.

My excitement turned quickly into deep grief and shock because I hadn’t had any symptoms that anything was wrong! I can remember feeling waves of emotions over the next few months after the loss. I felt that many of my own family and friends were not even there to support me in that loss. I was hurting and they seemed to not notice my distress. This is where we find Jesus in this passage, he knows he’s going to be betrayed, killed, and have to bear the sin of the world and he is deeply distressed.

In light of the heaviness of this passage there is hope! Jesus knows that these things are necessary for what is to come: His resurrection, ascension to heaven, and the salvation of the world! What if we could see the joy on the other side of our pain, struggles, and loneliness? During the loss of who I call baby Shiloh, I clung to the scripture: Blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted” ( Matthew 5:4). Now I can see that there was purpose in my pain. I am now able to encourage others that are walking through the same things that I have endured.

Jesus has the weight of grief all over him there in the garden, and yet he continues leaning on God. He prays three times, commentaries describe this as a battle in prayer. He was willing to sacrifice his life for the greater good, and yet it deeply hurt. He was still in human form. At this timing of his pending crucifixion there is celebration going on, for the upcoming Passover. Jesus and his disciples had their last meal together for the Feats of Unleavened Bread. This feast was a time of remembrance and celebration. Have you ever been in a storm of life, and it seems that everyone is going on about life? There are times we are hurting and yet we have to celebrate and be there for others in their time of celebration.

Friend, I am here to remind you a few things:

1. Sometimes you will have to SMILE anyway when you feel like dying. Rejoice with others, your time will come, and you will smile again.

2. Pray AGAIN! Sometimes we have to battle in prayer, with our emotions, stubbornness, and just grow closer to God. Learning to lean on him fully.

3. Love THEM anyway! Love those that are rude, insensitive, jealous of you. I know it’s so hard but it makes us better and honors God.

4. The prayer calmed Jesus for what he was about to go through, it reminded him to keep his eyes UP!

5. Getting AWAY with God is necessary, we need to have a place of prayer and quiet time with God.

6. Preparation is necessary for what is to come. God can help us to prepare because he knows our fate. Jesus tried to prepare his disciples for his death and the Lord was preparing Jesus as well.