The last few months have been quite trying for my husband and I. We own a small rental property and the first thing that happened was that there was a flood in the basement of that building. It ended up costing quite a bit of money to have someone clear out the main drain of some tree roots that had grown into it. They were not able to clear it completely and there is still work to be done. Then a week later my daughter, who lives on the third floor of that place, called at 11:00 pm crying and saying in a trembling voice, “Mom, the house is on fire.” Wow. That was a terrible thing to hear at any time of day. We rushed over and in the end, the damage was miraculously little. The fire department was truly inspiring. Then about a week later, my husband’s mother passed away. It is hard to express the emotional experience of losing her and of dealing with his sometimes troublesome family. She was a lovely lady and we miss her in many unforeseen ways. Following that, as the summer got under way, there was seemingly a mass invasion of ticks in our back yard and I got bitten a few times. A couple of weeks after that, I got sick with an unconfirmed case of Lyme disease.
By that time, I was beginning to feel abandoned by my Father and was wondering what in the world was going on. It was hard to maintain a spiritual outlook through all of these situations, but in each difficulty I felt the Lord saying, Trust me. Especially before we knew the limited extent of the fire, it was hard to calm my emotions and say, Okay, Lord, I trust you. However, in the end each difficulty turned out to be a blessing. You hear that a lot from people, but I can only affirm that it is true. We all know Ro 8:28 which says that “All things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called, according to his purpose.” Trust me. What does it mean? It means more to me now than it did two months ago. It means: I trust you Lord with my life and the life of my family members. I trust you that no matter what happens, you are working constantly in my life. Every minute of every day, you are leading me to situations that are helping me to get closer to you.
Years ago, my dad used to fly a single engine airplane sometimes. On one particular occasion, I flew with him from a Midwestern state to the east coast. As we started off that day, the weather was completely foggy. My dad had his instrument rating, so we were able to carry on with the planned flight. We took off in a total fog. The fog continued for the entire flight. We were completely surrounded by clouds. I was terrified to be in such a soup without being able to see a thing. Soon, I felt my muscles tense up. Then I heard a small and calm voice inside of me saying, “Trust me.” I said, Okay, and I tried to relax myself and trust God that all things would be okay. However, a short while later, I found myself completely tensed up again. Again came the voice that said, “Trust me.” Okay, Lord. I again tried to relax. Three times that happened and three times I had to force myself to relax. In the end, we made it to our destination in one piece and that experience has stayed with me all of these years. God reminds me of it sometimes when things get troublesome.
Life can present some serious challenges to each one of us at times, but through it all we have a rock upon which we can trust our very existence. The same one who stilled the waters can calm our troubled emotions and lead us back to the shore. “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah.” Ps 46:1 – 3.
Apples of Gold 