My apologies for being late in posting this week. I have been traveling. Today I find myself sitting in O’Hare International Airport. I am in the midst of a layover awaiting my next flight. I am returning from a trip to spend time with my mother after her surgery to repair her fractured hip.
A couple of weeks ago she tumbled down some steps into her garage causing the injury. Just before I was to leave to visit her, my 19 year-old experienced what originally appeared to be a stroke.
After an extended period in the emergency room doctors decided that there was nothing that was deemed to be life-threatening and he was sent home. I found myself between a rock and a hard place. I had made tentative plans to visit my mother, but had not yet made travel arrangements wanting to make sure that I was available to be there for my boy if needed.
In a text message to me he told me to go ahead and go to be with “grandma” because he was going to be fine. What a strong kid he is. So after praying about it I followed his advice. I went to help my mom. It turned out to be the right move.
This kind of a situation has the potential to be overwhelming. When trials come from one source they can cause all sorts of chaos, but when they come from more than one source at the same time they can lead to a flood of anxiety.
When I found myself with two loved ones struggling with health issues at the same time my first inclination was to freak out. Who wouldn’t? Then I thought, wait a minute, do I really need to worry about how this will work out?
It isn’t like God doesn’t know what is happening, of course He knows. He not only knows, but He also cares. In the Gospel of Matthew Jesus said, “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.” (Matthew 10:29-31)
This points not only to the fact that God knows all that is happening, but also that our value in His sight is never in question. What a comforting thought. God is fully aware of everything happening in our lives and as we read in 1 Peter 5 that we are to cast all of our anxieties upon Him because He cares for us. What a relief that is!
If we understand that God sees all that we are going through and that He is actively involved we can face any and all trials that we face. Max Lucado is quoted as saying that “No one can pray and worry at the same time.” So if we believe in God and if we believe His promises we can rest in the knowledge that He has things under control no matter how crazy things seem to be going around us.
Giving all of our cares and struggles to God is certainly easier said than done. It helps to take the long view. By that I mean when we look at our circumstances things look so much different when we do it with eternity in mind. This isn’t our home. We are just passing through so don’t hold tighter to the things of this world than you do the promises of God.
If He is our priority, then we begin to see things with an eternal perspective. And while believing doesn’t guarantee rescue from our struggles it does guarantee that we won’t go through them alone. Knowing this then allows us to go through these times in such a way as to point to the source of our strength, our Savior, Jesus.
So the next time that things start to get a bit crazy in you life, I highly recommend that you trust in our sovereign God who tells us that He will use all things for the good of those who love Him (Rm 8:28). That is ALL things! Trust in Him. God doesn’t expect us to necessarily understand His ways and His thoughts, but He does call us to surrender to Him. And why wouldn’t we? If God is for us, who can be against us? (Rm. 8:31).
Hang in there, and believe. Our time here is only the beginning of our story.
Blessings,
-Bry
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