Bottomed Out!

What do you do when the bottom drops out? When life as you know it stops? There are moments when life gives way beneath your feet—plans unravel, diagnosis are given, loved ones are in crisis, jobs are lost.  Everything that you once thought was steady and secure, suddenly slides you off your axis.  As a pastor, it is a humbling privilege to be invited into some of these moments for members of our church. Within the past two weeks, I have conversed with several people who are experiencing “bottom drops out” moments of their lives. 

They’re really going through it. And, I know, that nearly all of us are also going through something right now; even if we do keep it pretty well hidden from most of the world.  The brokenness of this world makes itself known in our lives. We lose something or someone that was once so reliable.  Abruptly, we are thrown for a loop. We are tossed and turned, desperately grasping for something solid. It’s in those moments, when the bottom drops out, that we need to adapt. But how? "I lift up my eyes to the mountains—where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth." (Psalm 121:1-2) The promises of God found in scripture can sustain us.  They will.  Don’t get me wrong, it is not easy to trade our worry and fear in for peace and faith.  Doubt and despair still try to creep in. Being human is not for wimps! But there are so many words in where God’s quiet, steady promise speaks most clearly: You are not falling alone.
 
Scripture reminds us, “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1). Not a distant help. Not an occasional help. Ever-present. Even when everything else feels unstable, He remains unshaken. Think of Peter stepping out onto the water. The moment he focused on the wind and waves, he began to sink—but Jesus was already reaching out His hand. The same is true for you. The chaos may be real, the uncertainty heavy, but Christ is closer still. God doesn’t promise a life where the ground never trembles, or the bottom never falls out.  But He does promise that when it does, His grip holds firm. His grace is deeper than your lowest moment, and His faithfulness stretches farther than your worst fear.
 
“I waited patiently for the Lord; He inclined to me and heard my cry. He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure. He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God.” (Psalms 40:1-3)