Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. For I am the Lord you God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. (Isaiah 43:1b-3a)
This verse has been my comfort through the difficult times all through out the years. "When"
not "if" we go through the waters....I am so thankful that in the midst of our troubles that we are reminded over and over in scripture that we will not be consumed. For me, it is easy to run and hide when I have been hurt. I run from the One who promised to give us comfort. I run from my God and can easily get lost in my own negative thoughts...You would think by now, I would learn my lesson and run to God instead of from him when I am hurting. Each time I go through the deep waters, I am filled with God's warm and welcoming invitation to come on back.
I have been following a caringbridge site for a little boy (another Hopekid) named Ian. He is an only child of incredible parents. Just last year, while in kindergarten, they noticed some disturbing changes in his movement and balance..He was diagnosed with a inoperable brain tumor that has changed their lives forever. Deb, Ian's Mom is incredible. She journals of her struggle to keep her complete dependence on Jesus instead of wanting to take control of a situation that is beyond her control. Her faith is so incredibly inspiring. I have found myself reading her posts as we struggle with our current situation.
Deb's faith has reminded me that there is NOTHING that can seperate us from the love of God and that there is NOTHING that God can not get us through.
There is nothing on this earth that can cure Ian's cancer. But, that does not cause the family to give up hope. They know that only God can cure his cancer. Their hope is in the Lord and they rejoice in knowing that Ian will be cured when his journey on earth is over.
Let my hope be in the Lord always. We are grieving and God gives us the grief process to help us heal. Walking in to Nakia's room, I must remind myself that God understands our grief beyond what we can ever fathom. I want to learn from the experiences that God has given me, and my prayer is that I will remain in Him as I work through this loss....
