By Dennis Edwards--
It almost seems that today we are in a perpetual crisis. Almost every single day seems like the mountains are too high and the valleys are too low. The mental and emotional difficulties we are passing through as a world seem insurmountable. We may wonder where God is in times like these.
I have been thinking back to another time in my life when things were really tough, not only physically, but spiritually, mentally, psychologically and financially. That was the time I was living in a western European country, when the local officials arrested me and took custody of my children.
I was accused of fraud, of forming an illegal association, which means an association whose aims were to overthrow the government, and not giving my children a proper education. I had been home-schooling them at the time. The accusations were fabricated and false as the later court cases proved. But while being questioned and retained for seventy-two hours, my four school aged children were taken by the local welfare authorities.
After a difficult nearly two months without visitation rights or communication rights, I finally was able to visit my children under police and social service observation for thirty minutes. I would go through a harrowing period of emotional, psychological, and financial pressure before my children were returned to me one year later. It would not be until four years afterwards that the Supreme Court and Constitutional Court would finally vindicate me.
Yes, I felt God had abandoned me, but in fact He was drawing me closer to Him. I remember one day pouring out my heart in prayer as both my mind and faith were fainting. I couldn’t see how I could go on any longer. I cried,
“God, I can’t take it any longer. I’m not going to make it. I am not strong enough.”
He answered me,
“You are not suppose to be. But remember, I am. Remember also, that two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falls; for he has not another to help him up. Again, if two lie together, then they have heat: but how can one be warm alone? And if one prevails against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.[1] Meditate on these things.”
Right away, I knew exactly what He was getting at.
In the home-church fellowship I had helped organize was a single mom who also had been home-schooling her children. Her two children had been taken from her at the same time as mine. I liked her from the first, but I didn’t want to get involved emotionally as I was still recovering from a failed marriage which had ended in divorce. But now the Lord was telling me,
“If you don’t get involved, you are not going to make it.”
I thought,
“Okay, Lord, I’ll follow.”
Three months later we were married. Ten months on our first child was born and we have had four more since. In November, we will celebrate 25 years of marriage. Out of what seemed like defeat, God got a great victory. He works in wonderful ways His wonders to perform.
My children ended up in custody for one year. However, my new marriage relationship was the way of escape that God gave me, that I might be able to bear it.[2] The criminal case against me for fraud and forming an illegal association was defeated and the local government’s appeal rejected by the Supreme Court.[3]
The home-schooling case went all the way to the Constitutional Court where the judges upheld the Regional Court’s decision in my favor giving a ruling precedent for families to legally home-school their children.
In the end, God did not abandon me. By yielding to his voice and following His leading, I had found a strong help-meet. God did not leave me comfortless. He comforted me and sent me a comforter, one that I could actually hold and caress, my lovely wife. Together we look back at that period of our lives as some of the most rewarding we have ever lived.
Those times of difficulty strengthened our connection with God, deepened our relationship with Him and fortified our personal convictions. As soldiers of war glory in their days of action, we, too, were on the front lines. We were in the papers, on the news, appearing on radio programs, talking with lawyers, psychologists, policemen, judges and government officials. We were standing up for our convictions and we felt God’s presence with us.
At times it was difficult. At times we were at wits ends. But God did not leave us comfortless. He came to us and He helped us. He raised up people in our defense. He lifted us up. He raised up people to help us with our physical needs. He strengthened us and saved us from our enemies who were too strong for us to overcome. He raised up new friends. God is good. He does not fail. All things work together for good to those who love Him and trust Him. Will you?.
Footnotes:
[1] Ecclesiastes 4:9-12
[2] 1Corinthians 10:13
[3] http://www.cesnur.org/testi/TheFamily/spain.htm
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