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When you are hurting or struggling in life, you may wonder why praying doesn’t always change your situation. In 2 Corinthians, the apostle Paul describes a thorn in his flesh that hasn’t been taken away. Pastor Ryan reminds us that even if our circumstances don’t change, God is often working through tough times to change us.
Scripture for Meditation: 2 Corinthians 12:7–10
Ryan Kolander has served as a full-time pastor since 2016. While he was still a student, he spent a year in Leon, Mexico, helping plant a mission church, then completed his internship serving Spanish- and English-speaking members near Washington DC. From 2016 to 2023, he served at Palabra de Vida, a bilingual, multicultural congregation in southwest Detroit, Michigan. Since 2023, he has served at Riverview Lutheran in Appleton, Wisconsin, focusing on school, youth, and outreach. Pastor Ryan is married with three daughters and enjoys playing basketball in his free time. "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:38-39).
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