Tomorrow
morning we leave for San Francisco … ironically, Helen, Courtney and I on the
same flight. I have to be there for
business and Helen and Courtney for an appointment during which Courtney is
going to get fitted with her brace. If
I’m totally honest about it, and I am, I’m a little more than reticent. Not for Helen or me, but needless to say for
Courtney. I see her about to get put
into this thing that is hard, uncomfortable, intrusive, and possibly visible to
others. On one hand, I struggle for her,
but on the other I know she is going to need Helen and me to be supportive and
that’s what she’ll get from us. As the
dad, I will be granite … my little girl (and my wife) need that.
As
I read through my daily plan this week (Numbers 8 – 14, Psalms 125 – 131, 1
Kings 21 – 22 and 2 Kings 1 – 5) I was moved in a couple different directions
and was actually thinking about writing on another passage until I was just
flipping through my Bible app and came across Psalms 126. As I did, something about it made me stop on
it. When that happens, I know it’s time
to pay attention. When I looked at it
again, it was all too evident that I needed to write it for myself, sort of the
opposite of a “take my advice, I’m not using it” type of deal.
Psalm
126 reads …
When the Lord brought back
his exiles to Jerusalem, it was like a dream!
We were filled with laughter, and we sang for joy. And the other nations said, “What amazing
things the Lord has done for them.” Yes,
the Lord has done amazing things for us!
What joy! Restore our fortunes,
Lord, as streams renew the desert. Those
who plant in tears will harvest with shouts of joy. They weep as they go to plant their seed, but
they sing as they return with the harvest.
What
we’re going through right now is rough … not life-threatening, but hard on the
heart for our daughter. We all have
situations where it feels like we’re going through a tunnel … no lights, no
ability to see around us, uncertainty about which direction we’re going, and no
idea how long we’ll be in the dark. When
the Israelites returned from exile to Jerusalem it was as though they were
being freed, as if they’d finally reached the end of the dark tunnel and were
able to be once again on the outside, with light, safety, and the ability to
see around them.
Right
now we’re about to head into the tunnel.
We don’t know how long we’re going to be in it, we won’t be able to see
around us, it’ll feel dark, and things will be uncomfortable. Courtney most of all. I guess what hit most about this Psalm wasn’t
the hopefulness it provides me,
it’s what it does for Helen and most of all for Courtney. God’s blessed me with the ability to remain
calm in squirrelly situations. But 13
year-olds aren’t always blessed with that.
I think Courtney is pretty resilient over all, and is facing the
upcoming tunnel like a true champ. But
there will be times when the tunnel will seem longer than it should be, the
darkness thicker and the discomfort unbearable.
Helen and I will now have the opportunity to share with Courtney some
foundational skills in living a life through challenge trusting in God. Among God’s many promises, I’ll be able to
share that hopefulness that He provides … that just as he restored the
Israelites to their home and from the darkness of bondage and exile, He will
restore us through the challenges life brings.
When
the Israelites returned to Jerusalem, look at their response. Joyfulness!
Laughter! Singing! Celebration!
They didn’t dampen the moment by reflecting backward, they looked at
their new reality. The past was no less
real, but God gave them the ability to see their NEW state in light of their
OLD one. He was gracious in not leaving
them in the darkness and scariness … He finished the job and brought them
through to the other side. He will do
that for Courtney as well, and a year or so from now when her brace is off and
(God-willing) her scoliosis has stopped progressing and maybe even reversed,
there will be joyfulness, laughter, singing and celebration in the Rodriguez
home. Because He will have brought us
all the way through.
Are
there tunnels you’re in the middle of right now. Do things seem scary, dark, obscure, and
longer than you’d expected? Take heart
in knowing that God is working to bring you all the way through your
situation. Ask Him to remind you that He
is busy at work, not sleeping on the job.
He’s 100% focused on YOU not someone else who has a problem bigger. God’s got the ability to focus on your
situation and mine all at the same time and He is no less omnipotent with
either one of us.
Ask
God in prayer to give you His peace, His comfort, His love over the situations
you’re facing. Ask Him to remind you as
you meditate on Psalms 126 and other portions of His word, that He will finish
the job. He will bring you (us)
through. In fact, He will share in the
celebration with us when He does. Count
on it!
Trusting
Jesus through all circumstances,
MR
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