No one is immune to tragedy. Troubles of all kinds befall us all. Troubles, death, hurt, illness, or pain do not respect persons. They will come when we least expect them and catch us off guard. The writer of Ecclesiastes says that there is “Nothing new under the sun.” (Ecc 1:9). But even knowing this, we are often unprepared for what is about to come through the door, ready to take our breath away and knock us to the floor. 

I am reminded of the story of Christ from Matthew 14:35, where it states that during Jesus’ prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane, He fell to the ground while praying to the Father. The stress Jesus faced must have been overwhelming. Yes, even Jesus struggled, just as we do before our trials. But there is always hope—hope that will carry us through the struggle, the pain, and the valleys of despair, fear, and anxiety.

As I write this, I am trying to process the news about a family dealing with one member in the ICU while others search for a missing teen. After several hours, the good news was that the ICU patient had been stabilized and was resting peacefully. And the teen? They have been found and taken to a local hospital for evaluation, while the family makes the ten-hour drive to bring her home. 

Bad things happen to good people, and the ripple effect goes well beyond the immediate family. I have been on both sides of the ICU. I’ve sat with loved ones while their family member was in the ICU with tubes and wires everywhere. But I also was the one lying in bed with tubes all over. I couldn’t speak or even open my eyes, but I could squeeze their hand to let them know that somewhere in the deep cloud, I was still there. 

I wish this was the end of the story, but it’s only the beginning. Healing needs to happen, but it will take time. When troubles come, it will be a battle, but remember, even Jesus fell to the ground. It’s not a sign of weakness; that battle is brutal. Keep going. Think about it.