Trusting God in difficult times - We Were Soldiers

War is another tragedy that has affected a lot of us. Do any of you have family or friends in Iraq, Afghanistan, or other wars? Can you imagine how they feel, or how their families feel, not knowing if they are ok?

It’s easy to praise God when everything around is going good and everything is in its place. However, it’s in the times when things are not going good or the way we hoped that our love for God “doesn’t come easy.” It can often be difficult to find the words and/or desire to praise Him or worship Him during tough times.

The movie We Were Soldiers follows a group of soldiers who were ambushed by the People’s Army of Vietnam at the very first engagement of the Vietnam War, recording their bravery, fighting and death for many. In the selected deleted scene the soldiers are heading to the battle field (where they will be ambushed), while their wives are back home in America at church on the Army base.

• If it’s a family member, how does that feel to know that your relative is in a dangerous part of the world? If they are only a person you know through another friend or acquaintance, how do you think their family feels about them being in a dangerous war zone?

• Have you had a time in your life where things were out of your control and you had no choice but to go through the difficult situation you were in? (Maybe someone died, or your parent’s got divorced, or you had to move to a new place.) What are some words that would express how you felt during that time?

• Catherine was the woman who couldn’t make it through the song. Have you ever had a time in your life when doing simple things was difficult because of some tragedy in your life?

• What happened when Catherine couldn’t continue with the song?

• Have you ever had a time like Catherine when your friends or your church have been there for you to support you in a tough time?

Not only can friends comfort and strengthen us, they can also remind us of the things we already know. They can remind us of the things we discussed earlier – that God is still God, and there is still hope. Things we know, but that are tough to remember when we’re in the middle of a hard time. This is a good reminder for us to be there for our friends too!



(Thanks to "The Source for Youth Ministry" for this topic!)