Last year we went through one of the scariest times we ever experienced as a family. After several long agonizing months we were finally on the road to recovery, and we were excited to leave injury behind us and move forward. This year was going to be all about rebuilding and renewal.
Then we got a call one Thursday in March that landed me in the hospital. Thankfully, it wasn’t too bad. On the grand scale of things, it was a minor setback – even if recovery took a couple months longer than hoped. But I picked myself up, said goodbye to injury and got back to rebuilding and renewing. After all, there were still plenty of months left in the year. Then in June we got another Thursday call that had us running to the hospital. Once more our lives were turned upside down.
My plate is pretty full being a parent of an individual with a disability and I think that’s plenty, that’s why I want to live a life of comfort. I want to wake up each morning greeted by the sunny rays of peace and the gentle breeze of tranquility. I want to eat what I want, never thinking about the consequences and buy what I want, never looking at the bank account. I want to float through life like an inner tube on a lazy river; the waves gently rocking and pushing me forward with nary an obstacle in sight.
It may come as no surprise that life is far from the haven of peace and tranquility I crave. And there are times when I’m living with uncertainty so great that I have absolutely no idea what the next few minutes will bring. There are other times, I’m riding an unending emotional roller-coaster filled with one setback after another, wondering when the ride will ever slow down and stop, so I can exit. And in the weeks following that Thursday call in June, both these statements were true.
However, after weathering several storms in my lifetime, I’ve discovered something remarkable: God has equipped me to face these challenges. That’s not to say it makes everything easier or that I don’t feel unprepared. It doesn’t and sometimes I do feel unprepared. But feeling unprepared doesn’t mean I am ill-equipped for the task. God has empowered and trained me to handle these storms and He will give me the strength, hope and courage I need to face them.
So the next time you get unexpected calls that lead to months, even years of unimaginable pain, don’t be discouraged. God has equipped and prepared you for this moment. Trust that He will help you overcome it.
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus, for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. Eph 2:10 ESV.