Faithful in the Hard Times

Sometimes you wonder why trials seem to come "all at once"...

This has been quite a year for me and my family.  Starting last December with an ER visit for stitches for our oldest and gluten intolerance tests that lead to 7 months of a gluten free diet for my youngest, to my husband's ER visit and appendectomy in January, to my Dad's brain tumor diagnosis in February, to my miscarriage and d&c in March...STICK WITH ME HERE...this is not a pity party.  Just stating some facts so you know where I'm coming from....Then, there was my Dad's surgery and a few trips to a fertility specialist (since we'd had 3 miscarriages) to get meds that ended up making me sick.  After that another ER visit in July, this time for me...I had an unidentified infection that made me very sick.  All of this in the midst of the worst drought our farm has seen in over 20 years.  Last month (September) I got very sick, and ended up having my gallbladder removed.  

Now it's October.  What is it this month?  Well, it's a fractured leg for my 2 1/2 year old.  Goodness gracious!! 



As you can see, he's in good spirits.  Poor little fella!

It was such a simple thing, I stopped the swing, he hopped off, grabbed his leg and said, "Oww! Leg hurt me."  I thought he was fine, but later that evening he couldn't bear any weight on it.  I felt terrible...and still do!!

This brings with it more complications than just a splint on his leg (although that's hard enough)...like Mommy (me) needing to carry him (35 lbs of solid boy) everywhere...while still under weight restriction after surgery.  Active little boys should be able to run, play and ride trikes.  We've had to be creative to find ways to keep him busy, without being up.

You know, after a while, you really do start to wonder why so many trials come "all at once".
 
Today I found solace in I Peter 1.  Verse 6 says, So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you have to endure many trials for a little while.

I'll admit some days it is hard, but I remind myself that I must keep eternal perspective.  This life is but a vapor.  This world is a fallen, imperfect place where "stuff" happens...and sometimes those things happen all at once.  This place is not my home.  Something better is coming.

These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold -though your faith is far more precious than mere gold.  So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world. (vs 7)

The question is, is my faith genuine?  It's easy to say we have faith, but what about when the hard times come.  Faith is taking God at His Word. 

He says He has good plans for us (Jer 29:11). 
He says He works all things together for good for those who love Him (Rom 8:28).
He says that if we trust Him and seek Him, He will direct our paths (Prov 3:5).
He says He is faithful and will do what He says (I Thess 5:24).

Do I believe it?

You love Him even though you have never seen Him. Though you do not see Him now, you trust Him; and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy. The reward for trusting Him will be the salvation of your souls. (vs 8-9)

Oh, I believe...Lord, help my unbelief (Mark 9:24).  Although I have never seen Him, I have seen Him.  He has proved Himself faithful time and time again.  Yet, I long to know Him more.  To trust Him more whole-heartedly, undivided and unwaveringly.  Yes, I love Him.  I know He loves me.  So, I choose to walk in faith.  I know that often circumstances are not what they seem on the surface.  I believe He will see us through this fire...and whatever lies ahead!  And, I believe, afterward, we will have a deeper level of trust in the One who made us (I'm praying this for my husband too). 

"When you are in the midst of your trials, your Lord will reveal His character to you in ways you never knew. You will experience His strong and comforting presence. Like Job, you will learn that your Lord will remain, even when everyone else abandons you. You will see God more clearly as He takes you through the dark times. Then you will experience God in ways you had previously only heard about from others." ~ Experiencing God Day By Day ~ Blackaby

As I choose to trust and lean in on Him for strength and hope through the craziness, He reveals Himself to me in new ways.  I praise Him for all that's going well...and it's a lot really.  Truly we are blessed!  When I remember to see, I rejoice with a "glorious, inexpressible joy".  When I practice faith I am filled with the peace that passes all comprehension.  God is good...all the time! 

When this year has ended, I pray I remember how faithful He was, especially on those days when this life's unavoidable trials come again.  Then, I pray that, one day, when I stand before Him, He will find that I also was faithful!

This is not only true for me, readers.  This is true for you.  No matter what you're going through you can choose to trust Him through it.  He promised He would go with you (Is 43:2), that He would never leave nor forsake you (Heb 13:5).  Will you take Him at His Word?  Choose to see all of life's blessings and praise Him today.

P.S. Friends, will you please pray for my little Noah as he goes back to the doctor on Monday for additional x-rays?  The x-rays will show how bad the fracture is or is not and the doctor will decide whether he needs a cast or not.  I appreciate faith filled prayers more than you know! :)