Thy will be done.

Thy will be done.

During times of great strife, it is hard to say these four words. Lady Antebellum's Hillary Scott acknowledges this in her first solo single "Thy Will." How can we cling to God's promises when all we are surrounded by is pain and confusion? Many of us are withstanding trials beyond measure. We feel the weight of the world on our shoulders as we are struggling to hold it together just one more day. Why would a loving God allow us to suffer in this way?

One of the most important messages I have learned about God is demonstrated through a simple metaphor that I learned one day in Sunday School. It is that while we may feel like we understand the situation and He does not, it is usually the reverse that is taking place. While we see a puzzle piece, maybe as complete as it can be on its own, God sees the entire puzzle. He sees each story being woven together into the massive complexity that is our world. At the same time, He notices each detail of your puzzle piece, as He must in order to piece everything together.

Though it might seem corny, this has always stuck with me. Each time I face a difficult situation, I am reminded of 12-year-old me in Sunday School learning a life-changing piece of information. If I were to think that God was not in control and not handling my situation, I would be doubting His glory and power supreme over my life. While I may have had to suffer through temporary circumstances of great pain, it is nothing compared to the amount of joy I have now, knowing that my God brought me through it all and made me who I am today. I now have seen His amazing works in my live. Not to say that I completely understand how He used each situation, as I don't. I shouldn't have to understand each situation, as I have full trust in my Savior to work out the details of my life. A verse that comes to mind is:

Romans 5:3-5 ESV

Wait, rejoice in our sufferings? Is that even possible? Let me tell you that it is possible, even though it surely is not easy. Let me share with you a true story, which is actually still in the works to this day.

In early July 2015, a beautiful free-spirited life was lost in a tragic accident. Joshua Tricomi, 18 years old at the time, was driving his truck to work early in the morning, when he lost control of his vehicle, swerving off of the road toward the right side. His truck flipped, and he was ejected. He wasn't wearing a seatbelt. He was found by a man who happened to take that route on his way to work, which he normally didn't do. He was unconscious but alive. He was rushed to the hospital.

Josh was pronounced brain dead a week later after being in a comatose state on life support. His family had gathered from all over, praying and clinging to the Lord during this difficult time.

A few miracles occurred through this incident. It is speculated, due to the severe damage to his truck, that Josh would have died on scene had he been wearing his seat belt. This would have prevented the opportunity for his family and friends to see him one last time in the hospital. Had the man who found him not taken that particular route, Josh may have died on scene due to blood loss.

During this time, what should have been a time of mourning, weeping, questioning God and hurting, someone who stood out among those impacted by this death was Josh's mom, Tonya Tricomi. Although many people in this situation would have lost hope, she held on to God's promises to always take care of her and those who trusted in Him. She prayed ceaselessly and held Him high above all else. Yes, there was time for grieving and hurt, but God gave her a peace that stood out. Through this tragic accident and the response of Josh's family, several people trusted in Jesus Christ as their savior. One of those people was my boyfriend, Ashton Honeggar.

Ashton had heard who Jesus was. He had gone to youth group, to church. I had been trying to help him understand, but he needed proof. He wanted to see some sort of concrete evidence in his life that would show him God was real and working in our lives today. By watching the response that Tonya had in this situation, he knew that the only was she was handling this time with such peace and hope in the Lord was through God's strength. He knew at that point, that God had to be real and working through her to give her that much strength in a time where she should have been falling apart the most. The verse below just comes to mind as I think about her genuine faith in the Lord.

1 Peter 1:6-7 ESV

"In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ."

Upon looking back on everything that happened, it was clear that God orchestrated everything just right to bring more people to Him, to draw His child, Josh, home and to bring their family close together.

Whatever you may be dealing with right now, God knows it. He desires you to listen to His calling and to fall into His arms and lean on His firm foundation. By praying and being open with the Lord, casting our cares upon Him and genuinely trusting Him to carry us through life's trials, our faith will be made stronger and He will receive the glory. We must remember, as Hillary Scott's song mentions, He is God, we are not.

We see a puzzle piece, God sees the entire puzzle.

The lyrics of the song "Thy Will" by Hillary Scott & The Scott Family:

I'm so confused
I know I heard you loud and clear
So, I followed through
Somehow I ended up here
I don't wanna think
I may never understand
That my broken heart is a part of your plan
When I try to pray
All I've got is hurt and these four words

Thy will be done
Thy will be done
Thy will be done

I know you're good
But this don't feel good right now
And I know you think
Of things I could never think about
It's hard to count it all joy
Distracted by the noise
Just trying to make sense
Of all your promises
Sometimes I gotta stop
Remember that you're God
And I am not
So

Thy will be done
Thy will be done
Thy will be done
Like a child on my knees all that comes to me is
Thy will be done
Thy will be done
Thy will

I know you see me
I know you hear me, Lord
Your plans are for me
Goodness you have in store
I know you hear me
I know you see me, Lord
Your plans are for me
Good news you have in store

So, thy will be done
Thy will be done
Thy will be done
Like a child on my knees all that comes to me is
Thy will be done
Thy will be done
Thy will be done
I know you see me
I know you hear me, Lord

Songwriters
Bernie Herms, Hillary Scott, Emily Lynn Weisband

Published by
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group
Read more: Hillary Scott - Thy Will Lyrics | MetroLyrics