Valleys, Puddles, and Darkness

Don’t you just love hearing the following sayings?

It is always darkest before the dawn. 
There is always a silver lining.
Every path has its puddles.
Between two mountains there is always a valley.

Ok, you probably hate hearing those because if someone is saying them to you it means you are going through a rough time of life. When we go through hard times in life the advice can be plentiful and it may seem that everyone has an idea of how you can “fix” the situation you are in (even if you did not ask them). Even when we are on the flip side trying to cheer up a friend and guilty of doing the same things I wonder if we really ask how we can help. What would truly be most helpful in this situation? Have you asked or ever been asked the following:

Do you want to go to church?

In the book “The Purpose Driven Church” by Rick Warren, the ten most receptive groups of people that have been reached at their church (Saddleback) is explored. Within this top 10 list the following groups are found: people going through a divorce, those who feel their need for a recovery program (alcohol, drugs, sexual, and so forth), the terminally ill and their families, couples with major marriage problems, parents with problem children, and recently unemployed or those with major financial problems.

So if you can do the math with me, 6 out of the 10 most successful groups of people that have been reached at this church have been people who are hurting. These people are going through more than a rough day but a rough season in life. What helped them? God helped them. The next time we hear or have the urge to say one of those wonderful sayings that can make everyone cringe, why not ask God to help this person or invite them to church. Invite the one that controls the night and the rising of the sun, the one that is in control of every rainfall and knows about each puddle, and the one that created the mountains and each valley in between into the situation you or your friend is currently facing.

So, I want to invite you to church! You can look at our service times and directions page or check out our community care page for more information about all the ways you can receive that needed help. Why the invite? We asked ourselves how we really could help and we ourselves were helped.

and call on me in the day of trouble;
I will deliver you, and you will honor me.” Psalm 50:15 (NIV)


Sources

Warren, Rick. The Purpose Driven Church: Growth Without Compromising Your Message & Mission (Grand Rapids: Zondervan).