Every now and then I am given the opportunity to see life
through a different lens. I have experienced some difficult and even scary
circumstances that have compelled me
to view life differently. These times challenge my faith, present me with a
different perspective and allow me to draw closer to God. There have been tragedies among family members and dear friends, my own miscarriage, and health
scares with my children, just to name a few. I think the scariest time of
waiting as a mom, was four years ago. We were told that our newborn had a hole in her heart.
(This actually was rivaled by some scares with our first daughter years ago,
when we had a lymph node removed to see what it was. Thankfully it was nothing,
but that waiting was hard.) Back to four years ago when we needed to wait to follow
up with a cardiologist when the baby was two weeks old. The hospital could tell us nothing else. We
left with complete uncertainty and had no choice but to wait and
pray. My husband had to leave the day after we came home from the hospital for
training for a new job. For those two weeks I was forced to choose faith in God
or complete despair. It literally hurt to breathe thinking there was something
horrific going on with my baby’s heart. I needed to choose the faith part, if
for no other reason than to be strong for my other kids. The short version of
that story is that she thankfully was fine, and the hole closed on its own. I
was praising God for His goodness, that our baby was OK. Would I have felt that
He was so good if she didn’t end up being OK? Honestly, I am not sure I would
have felt that back then. I hope that I would have though, because He is good always. Those two weeks gave me a different lens in
which to view my life through. The lens in which your life could look
completely different than what you had hoped for. To view what is truly precious
and important in life, and to pause and really embrace those gifts.
In October
of this year I was blessed to have another lens change with a health scare of
my own. Yes, I did say blessed! I went for a routine mammogram and ended
up needing a biopsy. The entire process from the mammogram to the clear results
took only a short five days. But in those five days I felt so many things. Each time
I was tempted toward fear, God faithfully showed up with a Scripture verse, a
song on the radio, the Sunday Mass readings, and even the images that filled my
Facebook news-feed, to remind me that He was with me; there was nothing to fear.
Why do I say it was a blessing to have faced the possibility that I may have
had cancer? It was a blessing because I was surrounded by love of family and
friends. I was completely covered in prayer and carried through that scary week
by those prayers. I was able to see what is genuinely important in my life. And guess
what? The “To-Do” list that rules my days, and the messy house that I am
usually upset over, did NOT show up on the radar of importance. Not even once.
What did show up was my family, love, and spending time together, remembering
how much we love each other, holding each other a little closer, smiling a
little longer…you get the idea! But most of all, the constant (and I do mean
constant!) conversation with God, Mother
Mary and the saints. Mary and the saints were faithful in their prayers for me,
as always. I am sure my grandma was up there praying too! I needed to decide to live
in the moment, not worrying about tomorrow. This was a chance to draw
closer to God and trust Him with my life and my future. The morning of the biopsy,
as I walked through the hospital doors I felt panic and I prayed. I felt God
give me a sense of comfort as the words, “All will be well” came to mind. It
wasn’t an audible voice but I know it was God. I didn’t feel like the message
necessarily meant I would be cancer free, but more of a sense that all would be
well no matter what. I was assured that God is in my future whatever the
circumstance. While I was waiting in the hospital I was able to gaze upon the
cross in the waiting room. What a blessing to see it there. It brought great
comfort.
What if we could be thankful in the uncertain times knowing
God has a perfect plan? What about being thankful for the lessons, even though
they are hard. I did
ask God for a deeper trust in Him years ago, and remembered that request as I was going through this. I also surrendered my will to His a long time ago. I can’t take it back.
He will give what we ask for. We can’t choose how He gives us the answers. But
if we lean into Him in those times we will receive His grace and strength to
see it through. He is refining us.
~Ann Voskamp says it
well here~
As I reflect on the things I am thankful for, this year the
biggest blessings seem to be those that come out of the scary times; the chance
to view life through the lens of what is essential, and embracing the
opportunity to have a closer walk with God, to trust Him and love Him more. Of course I am thankful for my health, that I am OK. I am also thankful for the chance
to realize and remember all those who did not get the same result as me, and the
honor to pray for those who suffer.
Praying we can all thank Him no matter what and remember He
is good all the time!
Trusting in His grace,
Jen
Some songs that have inspired me in the unsure times,
How Great is Our God The line that really struck me here
was, “And time is in His hands”
If we do not have the scary times, our will cannot be strengthened to choose faith in God because we would not have a reason to exercise it. Trials are like the weights on the exercise machines. They build muscle in the spiritual life. What's most important is to remember that it's not how we feel, it's what we will.
ReplyDeleteI liked what you said about asking God for a deeper trust in Him because I've asked that, too. I had to add to that, and give me the grace to remember to ask for it again when I'm in trouble. Probably the greatest gift we can give children is to show them a childlike trust in God no matter what is happening.
You are so right Barbara! That is such a good way to look at it. Building our spiritual muscles, which is so good for us. I like your addition to that prayer. That's so important to remember too. Thank you for taking the time to send me your thoughts!
ReplyDeleteGod bless,
Jen