Monday, August 15, 2011

Rejoice?Really?

Phillipians 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I say, Rejoice.

I have faced quite a few challenges in the last thirty-five years. Some of those challenges have been personal forcing me to grow in my own understanding of who and whose I was. Some were professional causing me to reflect on where I fit in to the larger picture of God's ministry. Yet nothing has come close to the challenges I have been forced to face over the last few weeks.

As a parent we spend years teaching teaching our kids rules and life lessons that will help hopefully protect them from unnessessary hurt and pain. The hardest thing I have had to face as a parent are the things that I cannot control. The things that I cannot fix or take away tend to hit me the hardest.

Two weeks ago my oldest child was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. This has, by far, rocked me to the core. It was not something I caused and yet these words, meant to cause comfort by the wonderful doctors and nurses that took care of my son, only reminded me that just as I had not caused this disease, there was nothing-absolutely nothing- I could do to make it go away.

I cannot lie, these last two weeks I have struggled. I have struggled to understand why this has happened. I have struggled to balance my thankfulness that he now has a plan to keep him healthy with the fact that I am still sad and to be totally honest mad. Mad that it happened to my son, mad that the doctors have yet to understand fully why, and mad that with all of the things that science and technology has allowed us to do, why have they not been able to find a cure for this.

A number of wonderful verses of scripture have been presented to me this week by God. And yet the one I keep coming back to is the Phillipians 4:4 verse. Rejoice in the Lord Always. Again I say, Rejoice.

It may seem odd that at this time I would be rejoicing and yet dispite my struggles ultimately I am rejoicing. I am rejoicing that my son is in the hands of some amazing doctors. I am rejoicing that my son has a treatment plan that can keep him healthy and allow him to live a long life. I am rejoicing that my son that just a few weeks ago my extremely sick son is now healthy and enjoying an active lifestyle of playing football and being a typical middle school kid.

Lord, I thank you for reminding us that in the midst of struggles and hurt you are able to remind us of the things we are to rejoice. Thank you for providing us with doctors and medicines that can help us remain healthy through difficult diagnoses. May you comfort those that are struggling and keep us focused on your will.

1 comment:

  1. My mom has Type 1 Diabetes. She was diagnosed at the age of 12. I have often wondered too how medical research has come so far, and yet there is still no cure. The good news is that, at the age of 60, my mom is super healthy and doing great! Rejoicing that your son is feeling better! We will keep you all in prayer as you learn this new way of life.

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