The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him. The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him.
My friend’s daughter was extremely sick. Sick as in whatever mystery illness that was plaguing her was starting to shut down her organs. For years, my good friend and her teenage daughter searched for a medical answer to this frighteningly debilitating condition. Doctor after doctor, specialist after specialist, hospital after hospital, these two women fought for answers as they simultaneously battled for the daughter’s life.
This struggle endured for years. Not weeks. Not months. Years as in the teen grew into a young adult woman before they found the medical help she needed and a long sought after correct diagnosis. Imagine that moment when finally someone got it right. They were thankful to God for answering thousands of tear-laced prayers that extended over countless seasons.
God Is Our Hope
But with the diagnosis came a grim reminder of the damage already done by a delayed treatment plan…the virus had infiltrated every part of this young gal’s body and it would take vigilance and years to heal her. More treatments. More years. More tears. Enter the battle against hopelessness for the foreseeable future.
After having expended much of the last decade of their lives and more money than they could afford to spend; it was a bittersweet ending to a long battle. True, now they have a name for this insidious invader. They also have to face the facts that the fight isn’t nearly over. This mom and her daughter took risks others thought were silly, foolish even. But as desperate as they were, mother and daughter decided together to go the unconventional route with only God’s inner-assurance as their guide. Their faith-infused risk paid off.
Battles Are Stepping Stone To Greater Faith
Today, they’re still entering a battle zone every single day but all they went through to get here has made them that much more resilient and hopeful. The truth is, we don’t grow strong during the high times in life. We grow as we fight our way out of the thorny brambles and bushes with our bare hands. Sometimes our toughest battles are the stepping-stones that create an unbreakable foundation for a hope-infused life.
There’s an old saying that goes, “Whatever doesn’t kill you will make you stronger,” and I’d have to agree. There is something about being backed into a corner facing down terrific foes that force us to examine and then re-examine who we are and what we believe. In these scary moments, we had better already have figured out who and what we’re going to put our trust in, because once the battle ensues, we won’t have the time or the energy to be reflective.
Make Time For God Every Day
Which is why everyone needs to spend some generous amounts of time reflecting upon their belief system. I make my best effort to spend time daily with God, in His Word, praying, journaling, reading thoughtful and thoughtfully challenging books by authors way smarter and wiser than me. It makes all the difference in my day, all the difference between hopeless and hopeful.
My friend will tell you that what sustained her and her family during their most hopeless hours was the time she invested sitting alone before God and meditating upon the promises found in the Bible. She literally soaked up these comforting and powerful truths. Enough so, that when it was time to move forward into foreign medical territory, she was equipped to do so from the inside out. My friend knew whom she believed and she counted Him faithful to see her through. Come close to Him today, before, during, and after you really need to do so. Come close. Recklessly close.
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