Life on Two Rails: Finding Faith When Things Get Tough

Have you ever felt like your life is a strange mix of celebrations and challenges all happening at once? You're crushing it at work while your relationship is struggling. Or maybe you've just welcomed a beautiful new baby while dealing with the loss of a parent. If so, you're experiencing what has been called "life on two rails" – the reality that we often face both joyful and difficult circumstances simultaneously.

If it were up to me, I'd prefer to be on the "Disneyland monorail" where everything is good all the time! But that's just not how life works. Life runs on two rails. We celebrate achievements while navigating challenges. We experience joy alongside sorrow.

This dual-rail reality isn't just my observation – it's something Jesus himself acknowledged. In John 16:33, he tells his followers: "I've told you all this so that in me you may have peace. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows, but take heart because I have overcome the world."

Jesus wanted his followers to live in reality – to know that challenges and issues are part of life on earth. The question isn't if difficulties will come, but how we'll respond when they do.

Some challenges are minor – a flat tire, a short-lived illness, a temporary setback. But others have the potential to shake our faith to its core. I'm talking about those life-altering events: a devastating diagnosis, a serious accident, or the loss of someone we love.

These faith-shaking moments force us to confront reality in ways we might prefer to avoid. As someone who's experienced more than my share of these events – from childhood surgeries to a near-fatal accident with a drunk driver, from fertility struggles to the heartbreak of miscarriage – I can tell you that theory doesn't help much when you're in the midst of crisis. You need something real to hold onto.

So how do we respond when facing these faith-shaking events? Here are four principles that have guided me through my darkest valleys.

When crisis hits, our first instinct is often to talk about God: "Why is God letting this happen? I don't understand what God is doing." But what if instead, we turned directly to God? What if we shifted from talking about him to talking with him?

"God, I don't understand what's going on. God, I don't like this. God, I need your help."
In times of crisis, proximity to God becomes essential. The Bible promises: "Come close to God and he will come close to you" (James 4:8). When everything feels like it's falling apart, God draws especially near to the brokenhearted: "The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed" (Psalm 34:18).

Even in what feels like your darkest valley, you're not walking alone. As Psalm 23:4 reminds us: "Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me."

In Hebrew tradition, the names of God reveal something specific about his nature, character, and how he relates to us. When we're facing crisis, four particular aspects of God's character become especially significant:

• Jehovah Shalom (The Lord is Peace): God can calm you when anxiety threatens to overwhelm. As Philippians 4:6-7 promises, when we pray about everything instead of worrying, "you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand."
• Jehovah Rah (The Lord is My Shepherd): God can guide you when decisions need to be made and the path forward is unclear. James 1:5 assures us: "If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you."
• Jehovah Jireh (The Lord Will Provide): God can take care of your needs when expenses mount and resources are strained. I've heard countless stories of unexpected provision showing up at just the right moment.
• Jehovah Rapha (The Lord Who Heals): God can bring healing – sometimes through prayer alone, sometimes through medical intervention, and sometimes through the ultimate healing of bringing someone home to eternity.

Why turn to God first? Because he knows everything, owns everything, can do anything, and loves you perfectly.

When we're in crisis, our vision narrows – we can barely see an inch in front of our face. But God sees the complete picture. He knows exactly what's happening and what needs to happen next. He has all resources at his disposal. He can work outside the limitations of time, space, and natural law. And everything he does flows from perfect love – even when his definition of "good" doesn't match our own.

We were created for relationships – first with God, but also with each other. Sometimes the situations we face are simply too much to handle alone, and we need help.

In Exodus 17, there's a fascinating story where God's people are in battle. As long as Moses holds his arms up with his staff, they're winning. But Moses gets tired. His arms start to lower, and they begin to lose. So Aaron and Hur set Moses on a rock and hold his arms up so they can be victorious.

Sometimes we need to sit on a rock and let our friends hold our arms up because what we're going through is so difficult.

Galatians 6:2 instructs us to "bear one another's burdens." We all have our own "backpack" carrying the normal responsibilities of life. But sometimes those backpacks become overwhelmingly heavy, and we need others to help carry the load.

This isn't about shirking responsibility – it's about facing circumstances so challenging that we simply cannot manage alone. When hospitals bills mount, when decisions feel overwhelming, when grief consumes our energy, we need others to step in and help.
As you receive support from others, you'll discover another beautiful aspect of community: "He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us" (2 Corinthians 1:4). The very hardships you're navigating today may equip you to comfort someone else tomorrow.

Whether facing a serious diagnosis, recovering from a life-altering accident, or grieving the loss of a loved one, there will be a period of mourning. Don't try to skip this process or rush through it.

Ecclesiastes 3:4 reminds us there is "a time to cry and a time to laugh; a time to grieve and a time to dance." Deep loss produces deep sorrow, and that's normal.

Grief isn't a linear journey. It's messy, and you'll likely bounce between denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. Depending on the depth of your connection to what was lost, grief may be more intense or longer-lasting.

Whatever you do, don't try to navigate grief alone. Draw close to God and let others come alongside you in the process.

This final principle requires a significant perspective shift. What if we stopped viewing our faith-shaking event purely as a tragedy and started seeing it as an opportunity to share something meaningful with others?

There's a curious verse in Ecclesiastes 7:2 that says: "It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting, for death is the destiny of everyone; the living should take this to heart."

Why would it be better to attend a funeral than a party? Because it's in moments of loss and grief that we confront reality. We remember that death is certain, but it isn't the end. We have eternal spirits that will live forever – either in God's presence or separated from him.
For followers of Christ, death isn't something to fear. As Paul wrote in Philippians 1:21: "For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain."

When we or others face life's hardest moments, these perspective-altering events often create natural opportunities for meaningful conversations. People who normally brush off spiritual matters become more open to eternal questions. As you navigate your own difficulties with faith, you can share how God is helping you and making a difference in your journey.

But a word of caution: be sensitive in how you approach these conversations. Watch your tone and timing. Sometimes all someone needs is your presence, not your words. Be quick to listen and slow to speak. Look for natural opportunities to encourage and share, rather than forcing conversations.

Life runs on two rails. There's the rail of good things we celebrate, and the rail of difficult realities we navigate.

I don't know which rail is dominating your experience right now. Maybe you're in a season of celebrating milestones – a new job, relationship, home, or achievement. If so, take time to acknowledge these blessings.

Or perhaps you're on that second rail, facing something that's shaking your foundation. If so, remember:

• God is able to bring peace when you're overwhelmed.
• God is able to guide you through whatever you're facing.
• God is able to provide for your needs in unexpected ways.
• God is able to bring healing in the form he knows is best.

The key is drawing close to Him. As Psalm 34:18 promises: "The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed."

Whether you're celebrating life's joys or walking through its valleys, you don't have to do it alone. Our services at Hope Church are at 9:30 and 11:00 AM, with coffee and friendly faces waiting to greet you. I hope to see you there!