Rescue Story

What’s your rescue story?

I have heard so many rescue stories over my lifetime.

Stories of rescue from the grips of drug addiction and alcohol.

Stories of marriages rescued from the brink of divorce.

Stories of miraculous births after infertility.

Stories of healing that can only be explained as a miracle of God.

But I’ve also heard (and lived) many other rescue stories, stories where people experienced painful events that ended up being an answer to prayers.

Have you ever talked to someone who was fired from a job, walked away devastated and depressed, only to find a much better job? In hindsight, the termination was an answered prayer as God pulled that person out of a toxic work environment and placed him/her into an amazing position.

Someone dear to me went through this earlier this year. This dear person uprooted his family, moved to another state for a job. Four months in, he was fired though the employer readily admitted he had done nothing wrong. After a short stint without a job, he was hired by a nearby company. On his first day, his boss gave him some cash as a gift just because he had been out of work. His new boss has gone above and beyond to bless him, to give him a step up in his career. It’s been fun to watch God show up in the devastation and make all things work for good (Romans 8:28).

My rescue story is that my husband had an affair. Oh, at the time I was devastated beyond what you can imagine! Today, some fourteen years later, I see it as an act of God’s grace. You see, I was in a mentally and verbally abusive marriage–but I couldn’t see it. I was determined to stay the course, to honor the covenant I had made, even though he wasn’t. The only way I would leave is if there was adultery because that was (in my mind) the only biblical reason for leaving.

When his affair came to light, I tried to save my marriage. I learned it only takes one to destroy a marriage but it takes two giving 100% to save it. My marriage didn’t survive, but that’s how God rescued me! He knew what it would take to put me into a position where He could save me from a toxic marriage, save my kids from a toxic environment, and move us into a position where He could work in us and through us.

Through my ex-husband’s affair, I found a God who loves extravagantly, heals the deepest wounds, creates beauty from our brokenness. His affair is the genesis of my rescue story!

You see, sometimes life’s most difficult circumstances actually propel us forward into the beautiful life God has for us. Sometimes–even often times–God does His greatest work in the midst of our most painful experiences.

What makes a rescue story?

Experiencing the faithfulness of God. Oh, how I have seen God’s faithfulness throughout the painful experiences of my life! Psalm 34:18 tells us God is near the broken-hearted. When we walk through painful experiences with a heart turned to God, we find His faithfulness surrounding us. We see Him working all around us, providing daily manna to sustain us. Yes, the pain can be almost unbearable at times, but God promises to be near, to carry that burden if we will let Him.

Experiencing God’s faithfulness requires that we surrender our will to Him and ask Him to show us His power and His purpose in our circumstances. We learn to trust His character even when we can’t see His hand moving around us.

Experiencing God’s transformation through the story. I’ll never forget falling to my knees and asking God to do a mighty work in me so He can do a mighty work through me. In fact, that prayer has become my mantra. You see, at the time, I thought I was in a pretty good place in life. I had lived a good life wholly devoted to God. I was a good person by most accounts. What more could He do in me? I think I really focused on what He could do through me.

Over the next few years, I began to realize what a sinner I am! I began to see God working on my heart, changing me to be more like Him. I saw Him change my desires to be what He desired. I saw Him reveal the true condition of my heart (Deuteronomy 8:2, Jeremiah 17:9). God did a mighty work in me, and I will never forget the way He gently made me more like Him!

Learning to trust Him more completely. This life is about walking by faith and not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7). When we walk through difficult circumstances to find our rescue story, we learn about trusting God more completely. We learn that He is faithful and trustworthy, that He will work good even in the most difficult situations. Our faith is purified as we seek our rescue story.

Seeking a rescue story in our pain requires that we lean into the author and perfecter of our faith, trusting Him to use the pain of this life to create a purpose.

You know what’s beautiful about God’s rescue stories? It’s never too late! It doesn’t matter what has happened in your life, what you have done, what you have experienced. It’s never too late to see God rescue you from whatever it is you are facing.

And maybe, that painful experience you are facing is the avenue for God’s blessings, the avenue through which one day you will look back and say it was part of God’s rescue story in your life. I know it may not seem that way right now, but hindsight is 20/20–and God’s ways are always higher than our ways. 

Today as I read my Bible, I came across Joel 2:12:

“Even now,” declares the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.”

How do we experience a rescue story? We return to Him with all our heart! It’s not about our outward actions and words; it’s about our hearts. Is your heart truly desiring Him? Are you willing to surrender, to let Him have His way in you? Are you willing to trust Him to reveal the areas of your life that are less than pleasing and then step out in obedience? Are you willing to let Him do a mighty work in you so He can do a mighty work through you?

If so, you just might find your very own rescue story!!