“And if not, he is still good.”
A few years ago, God seemingly didn’t answer a prayer I had begged for. Or, more precisely, he did not intervene in the way I had hoped.
I wept my way through prayers and journaling, finally finding a verse that was like a balm to my soul.
“And if not, he is still good.”
A few years ago, God seemingly didn’t answer a prayer I had begged for. Or, more precisely, he did not intervene in the way I had hoped.
I wept my way through prayers and journaling, finally finding a verse that was like a balm to my soul.
“And if not, he is still good.”
This is a loose interpretation of Daniel 3:18, in which Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego declare to King Nebuchadnezzar their confidence that God would save them from the fiery furnace. This was to be their punishment for worshipping God and refusing to bow to the king’s statue. But, they said, even if God did not save them, they would never worship the statue.
These three faithful Israelites stared down this terrible situation and proclaimed that even if God didn’t answer their prayer in the way they wanted, he was still good and worthy of all worship. That inspired me to keep going. God didn’t answer my prayer as I had hoped — but he is still good. It’s become something of a mantra to help me remember that God’s faithfulness means something greater than granting my prayers. Even when it is almost unbearably painful, the Lord doesn’t abandon me. Often, he sends others to accompany us in the “fiery furnaces” we may encounter, just as the angel of the Lord did for Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego.
In this issue of Great Lakes Bay Catholic, you’ll meet many other families who are holding fast to the hope and promise of God’s goodness despite tragic circumstances. Parents who have lost children are sharing their pain and healing through the Emmaus Retreat (page 16). The Chornyy family, who fled Ukraine when the war began four years ago, have had a long and trying journey that isn’t over yet. Still, they are quick to praise the Lord. I pray that you find their stories to be reminders of God’s faithfulness through life’s storms.
Thank you for reading Great Lakes Bay Catholic.
To Jesus through Mary,
Danielle
Danielle McGrew Tenbusch serves as editor of Great Lakes Bay Catholic magazine and is the marketing and admissions coordinator for the Office of Catholic Schools.