Trials

In 2006 I lived in an apartment with a friend. We hung out with our down-stairs neighbors and babysat their kids. Then the little girl’s 4 year old friend died from a brain tumor. When I was that age I was afraid of getting old and dying. What do you tell a little girl who is too young to understand what death is, but yet someone her age died?

At that point, I needed some time with the Father, so I chilled with the Word and some good music. As I spent time with Him, I just knew more trials would be coming my way, and these would be more personal, and not just people dying. I knew He had called me to a life of helping the hurting, and I knew I would have to go through some things so that I could “comfort others with the comfort I had received from Him.”

I was a little nervous about these un-know up-coming trials. However, a few years before I had done a study by Beth Moore about Believing the Father. Part of that was looking back over my life and seeing how He had been there and used everything for good. So I knew He would continue to work all things for good.

Sept 2006- Sept 2007 ended up being the worst year of my life. My roommate and I both volunteered with the Ambulance, and responded to a call that turned out to be a DOA (although I think it is easier if the patient is already dead when you arrive, as opposed to having them die in front of you). I also worked at the day care with a lady who hated me, and I was sick constantly from all the germs kids bring to day care. Then there was my parent’s divorce. More recently, the trials have been less painful, just stretching – like living in India for 3 months.

Sometimes, in the midst of a trial, I could already see that I was becoming stronger in my faith, and in just knowing who I am. Then there were crazy challenges like getting tendonitis in my wrists last summer. I couldn’t see what good could possibly come from having to wear a wrist brace, not being able to do much with my hands (without pain and making the injury worse), and knowing it could take months to heal. I also got a ridiculous tan line from that wrist brace.

But, guess what, because of my wrists, my “work duty” in Idaho was administrative stuff, and now I’m going back to Idaho as full-time staff, and I’m already partly trained for the job (yet again, another story that leads into me moving to Idaho).

All that is to say, these past 2 years have not been easy, but as I look back at the trials, I see how I have grown. I can face the trials ahead knowing that the Father has been faithful in the past, and He doesn’t change. He will work all things for good, and even when it seems impossible, I still believe.