"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.
James 1:2-6 Friday my mom was rushed to the hospital. Amputation of her leg seems the only option as there is no blood flow to her foot. She has a very long history with a clotting discorder.
Of course this is devastating news....
But God...
"We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed."
2 Corinthians 4:8-9
A couple of weeks ago I decided to enroll in an online school and begin to really study the word of God. I chose the book of James for my first class....now I know why....and not only why but what God is trying to show me with this current trial.
"Consider it pure joy..."????
Pure joy? Are you kidding me? Joy? No!!! Not joy IN the trial. Not joy ABOUT the trial. But joy WHEN I've successfully ENDURED the trial. In other words, when the trial is over, no matter how it's resolved, I will have joy that I persevered through it. That's really different, isn't it? Barring a miracle, my mom will lose her leg mid-thigh. There is no joy in that. And the weeks, months and years to follow will likely be very difficult.
But there is a bigger tragedy here....and this is the WHAT God has revealed to me.....my mom does not know the Lord. Not that I'm unaware of that but the realization that that is a far greater tragedy than her health issues. I have prayed for him to open up opportunities for me to witness to her and, of course, God has been faithful.....and I've been obedient.... so far...... to proclaim him loud and clear. Each time I've had the door shut.... hard....makes it a bit more difficult for me to be obedient to the very thing for which I prayed. I do not have much joy right now. I'm IN the trial and I see no good ending as far as resolution of this horrific circumstance. But....EVEN IF she loses her leg yet GAINS Christ...now THAT is joy even in the midst of the circumstance. And that is VICTORY! The angels in heaven will be rejoicing that another has secured eternal life!! And in THAT there is GREAT joy.
And for me, when I shift my focus from what's so close to my face...when I dial the lens back a bit I can begin to see the importance of the trial.
"The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance."
2 Peter 3:9
Not wanting ANYONE to perish without him.
I guess today, the Lord's day, I find myself exactly where I should be. In the midst of awful circumstances with the only favorable outcome being that God, working through me, would draw her to himself.
Would you please pray for my mom...that she would come to know the Lord. And for me that I would, again and again, be strong and courageous to use the opportunities that God provides to be a light in the darkness.
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