From Trouble and Distress, to Delight
written by: Rev. Dr. Scott Paczkowski
“Trouble and distress have come upon me, but your commands give me delight. ”
In one of the congregations I served, a young mother who, when she was younger, was in my youth group had her furnace leaking gas and blew up, blowing her through a wall and out into the street. The furnace flame burned over 70% of her body. Her physical and emotional pain broke my heart. When you are a caring person, trouble and distress surround you.
Whether or not I walked again, or my young friend's many skin grafts' worked well or not, God's commands still give us delight." In the Biblical Hebrew of the Psalms, the word "delight" comes from two words "hepes" and "rasa." Hepes means "to bend or incline toward" and "rasa" means "to delight or take pleasure in." Delight, in Hebrew, isn't a constant or complete emotion. The Hebrew word implies that we incline toward delight. Our painful moments feel much worse if we expect to experience regular, comprehensive delight.
When we expect pain and suffering in our broken world, we are less surprised and better able to prepare for the inevitable trouble and distress. Yet, trouble and distress are not the end. The verse ends with delight. In the Biblical text, delight is not synonymous with happiness or bliss. Delight has more to do with long-term fulfillment. There is delight in knowing you are making a difference for a greater good than immediate pleasure. The greatest greater good is assisting God in fulfilling the divine One's plan for salvation in heaven and on earth.
Today, assess your feelings of trouble and distress. We mustn't ignore our feelings but address them in a spiritually supportive way. How you face your life struggles can transform into delight. Almost thirty years later, I can look back on my church friend who suffered the burns and find delight in how I was there for her in that painful time. It wasn't easy or fun, but it left a lasting impact on my life, and I pray my prayerful and physical presence gave her support. While I enjoyed many relaxing moments during those years, I remember very few. But I remember many times I stepped into trouble and distress and later, upon reflection, found delight in appreciating God allowing me to care in God's name.
