|
 In 1 Thessalonians 3:2-3, Paul tells his fellow
Thessalonians that he is sending Timothy, his brother in Christ, to encourage
them in the midst of their trials. Paul stressed in 3b, You know quite well
that we were destined for them. As Christians, it clearly is part of our
Christian walk to go through struggles. God often calls us out of our dry
places into unchartered territory to challenge our faith. Is our Heavenly Father
calling you? Do you recognize his voice when he stirs deep in your soul, asking
you to follow him to a place which seems unknown and impossible to go?
 God's voice is often present if we allow
ourselves to hear it, as well as to take the next step of heeding to it.
In the beginning of 2004, much to my and my husband's surprise, we
were expecting our third child. Our daughter was 3 years old, and our
son was about 18 months old. Although we had just started our careers
as physicians and recently moved to a new town, we were excited to bring
yet another life into this world. Everything was going well as had the
other two pregnancies until one day, I started spotting. It slowed down,
and then continued until I had a natural miscarriage at the end of the
first trimester. How could this be? Why would God take an opportunity
for us to bring another precious life into this world away so soon?
Little did I know that God's plans were much greater than mine. As I
went through the grieving process, I turned to a female mentor of mine
from residency program. She suggested that I turn my focus into studying
for the child psychiatry boards, and not put it off any longer. I didn't
want to spend long hours for months studying for a three-day grueling test,
preferring to sit and wallow in my pain. Yet I had much respect for her
opinion, so I attempted to divert my focus to studying. Since I had not
been very successful in passing standardized tests in medical school and
residency, every waking hour which I was not working, taking care of the
children, or tending to my husband, was spent on studying, studying, and
more studying. The stress and pressure that I placed on myself became
unbearable, and my God-sent mentor instructed me to turn to God's Word for
guidance and reassurance. As I read Bible verses daily for the first time,
a thirst for God's wisdom and nourishment yearned inside of me. Since this
experience, I have never been the same. It became clear to me that God
did not want me to give birth to a living being during that time, but to
his spiritual being. Through the trials and struggles of coping with the
loss of our pregnancy and fighting to pass my board exam, I grew exponentially
in my faith. Not only did I pass the exam on the first attempt, but I also
accepted God's challenge to minister to others through His Word in
various ways.
What trial is God taking you through?
Are you willing to endure the pain to receive His blessing as you
go through it? Romans 8:18 reads, I consider that our present sufferings
are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.
If I did not accept the reality of the miscarriage and turn my focus
to something else which required me to put my sole trust in God,
I would not have grown in the area he wanted me to grow. Perhaps God
is asking you to stay in a tumultuous marriage. Maybe your teenage
daughter is rebelling against you, and wants to move out. Then there
is your health and the possible relapse of cancer. As referred to in
Romans 5:3-5, we must find ways to rejoice in our sufferings, because
we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character;
and character, hope. 5 And hope does not disappoint us, because God has
poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.
As we go through our sufferings, it is critical not to give up but
to hold on. God will not bring us to a place where we will ultimately fail.
He is always there to lend a guiding hand. In Matthew 14, Peter was not
sure of Jesus' presence as He walked on the water. Jesus tried to reassure
him, and even instructed him to walk out on the water toward him as
Peter requested. 30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and beginning
to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!" 31 Immediately Jesus reached out
his hand and caught him. "You of little faith," he said,
"why did you doubt?"
In conclusion, God speaks to us every day,
not just in the calm of the day, but also in the midst of the storm.
As he guides you through your Christian walk, believe that he will not
let you falter. Trust in the path he has you on, for he will orient
your footsteps for your good and for his glory.
Brett Murphy-Dawson, MD is a child psychiatrist
who resides in Georgia. She has three children, her youngest being born
in 2006. She and her husband are actively involved in their home church.
to top of page
|
