Searching for Ravens: God Helps Us Do Hard Things

Recently, I sat outside at our church, on my cheap fold-up chair from Academy Sports, as my son spoke some of the greatest truth into my sad, aching heart. Ethan said something along the lines of, I can do hard things with God’s help.

He was chosen to “preach a sermon” alongside our pastor. (Shoutout to Pastor Alan!)

On his own, he chose a mask to represent being able to do hard things with God’s help. A truth he had learned at Vacation Bible School this past summer and tucked away in his heart.

Ethan and our pastor talked about how wearing a mask at school is hard. They talked about how adopting internationally during a global pandemic is hard.

Then, they talked about how God helps us through hard things.

My eyes swelled with tears, and I was thankful for the sunglasses that helped me hide my tender heart.

Our pastor went on to talk about 1 Kings 17:2-6 and how God had sent a raven to feed Elijah during the great drought. A raven likely wouldn’t have been Elijah’s first choice for receiving sustenance, but it’s how God provided for him during this hard season.

Ever since that evening on the lawn, I’ve been searching for ravens.

For too long, I’ve been busy mourning my expectations of “normal” things like sending my kids to in-person school or school without a mask. I’ve been too distracted by the constant media negativity and passionate political opinions. I’ve dwelled on the worst-case-scenarios surrounding our adoption as paperwork moves at a snail’s pace and quarantine looms. All of these things distract me from the raven.

I long to see the raven, and I need the God that provides the raven.

You probably do too, and I can assure you that the ravens are always there. Here’s how I know.

I had the opportunity to spend two weeks of quality time with my oldest daughter, Bailey. She had to do remote learning the first two weeks of school while her siblings got to go in person. We went to lunch. We went for a bike ride. We did things that we never would’ve been able to do together if life was “normal.”