Mourn and Rejoice Together

"Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn." - Romans 12:15

Grief and celebration are part of the dichotomy of life. This week the mother of some of my best childhood friends died. Then HFD lost another brother in the line of duty. And, a brother firefighter got to marry the love of his life. To say that life is full of highs and lows is an understatement. 

My take away this week is that no matter what we go through, we are created to go through it together. To rejoice and mourn with others is as simple a command as we can get. Both my extended family and fire family have done this extremely well. We have shed tears, lent empathetic ears, and offered shoulders to cry on. We've shared meals, beers, laughs, and memories together. 

As God's children on this journey called life, we are to come alongside each other and offer our presence as Jesus did. In mourning and in celebration we share in the human experience. We commit to being there for and with our fellow brothers and sisters. We hurt because they hurt, and we celebrate because they celebrate. There are people in our lives right now who need us to mourn or rejoice with them. When we show up for others, we demonstrate that they are loved and they matter. In doing so, we show them the love and presence of God. 

May the Lord Bless You and Keep You!

Senior Captain Bobby Delgado

HFD Chaplain

 

More Than You Can Bear

"No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it." - 1 Corinthians 10:13ESV

I wish I had a dollar for every time someone said, "The Good Lord will never give you more than you can bear." This is probably one of the most flat out wrong "truths" attributed to God and the Bible. It's not found anywhere in all of Scripture. False understanding leads to false application. You aren't allowed to go through tough times because God thinks you are a "bad a$$." You don't have a "black cloud" following you. It isn't "Karma." It is life. Maybe the only "lesson" God is trying to get you to "learn" is to totally depend on Him. (The misquoted statement is actually a misrepresentation of a verse about temptation(see verse above). We all have a choice whether we will give in to temptation or not.)

Life is full of struggles and suffering, heartache and pain. Many preachers gloss over the fact that the Bible does promise we will have trouble(John 16:33, James 1:2, 2 Timothy 1:8). There is no escaping it. Believing in God and being a Christian doesn't make us immune to the trials of life. There have been many days where I've been overwhelmed by all of the hardship this life brings. 2020 has brought more pain and loss than I could have ever imagined. Don't we all feel like the hits keep coming?

It is in times like these that I cling to the promises and truths found in the Holy Scriptures. I cling to the promise that "He will never leave us or forsake us(Deuteronomy 31:6, Hebrews 13:5, Matthew 28:20)." I hang onto the fact that in my "weakness His strength is made perfect(2 Corinthians 12:9)." When we feel the unbearable weight of this world, we must learn to rely on Christ. We must "cast our burdens on Him for He will sustain us(Psalm 55:22)." When you don't have the will, strength, or know-how to carry on, ask Him to carry you through the storm. He can handle it.

May the Lord Bless You and Keep You,

Senior Captain Bobby Delgado

HFD Chaplain