God Holds Us Up Through Troubled Times

There are not many things that can disrupt a schedule like a sudden or serious illness. Twenty-two years ago, my husband was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer. At the time, he was running a busy publishing company and I was facing six weeks of a summer camp I was directing. But, as soon as we heard the diagnosis, all our attention went to Johnny’s treatment plan. Life is funny like that, isn’t it? We’re so busy, and rightfully so, until something infinitely more important climbs in our way. 

In my lifetime, there have been other “infinitely more important” times. I’m sure it is the same for each one of you reading this post. The deaths of my husband’s parents and my dad, my own serious illnesses, my husband’s nine surgeries that followed his cancer diagnosis are just a few more times when time, as we knew it, stopped.

Recently, my youngest daughter, Ashley, was diagnosed with kidney cancer. It, like most surprises, came out of nowhere. I was once again reminded of something my grandson, John Luke, who was eight at the time, told me. We were running errands one day when he told me he had learned three things in life. When I asked him what those three things were, he said he learned that we had to work hard, play hard, and expect the unexpected. I was, naturally, very impressed, but he went on to tell me one of those things was harder than the other two. When I asked which one, he replied, “expecting the unexpected.” Besides thinking my eight-year-old was brilliant, I also thought he was right. How can we expect what we don’t expect? It goes against the very nature of the unexpected to expect it. Right?  Over the years, I have considered this thought many times and have wondered what was going on in John Luke’s brain to prompt this thought. He doesn’t remember now, so the source of his thought is forever lost in his “little kid” subconscious.

Here is just one of the “takes” I’ve had on his comment over the years. While we can’t expect the unexpected, we can prepare for it. A child’s illness, a husband’s illness, the death of loved ones, a business failing, an injury producing accident, anything that is major and disrupts normal life, requires a preparation that must begin before the disruption announces itself to our life. No, we can’t prepare for a specific hard time, but we can prepare for trouble to come to all of us. Does that sound like gloom and doom? I guess it could. Or it can sound realistic. In today’s Instagram, often picture-perfect world, I’m concerned that being realistic is getting a bad rap. Often realism is called a spoiler in our fun day of sunsets and bikinis at the beach. But the bible teaches us that hard times are a part of life and the growth that goes from those hard times is valuable.  

James 1:12 says, “Blessed are those who persevere under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.” Anyone with any age on them knows that hard times help us grow. It’s not something we wish on ourselves or others, but we acknowledge that growth occurs during those times. It’s during hard times that anxieties and distress threaten to beat us down, but it’s in those times that we call most faithfully to the Lord. And He answers, and our faith grows. That’s how it works. 

God answered our prayers for Ashley. Her cancer-ridden kidney was removed by competent doctors. She was cared for by loving nurses. Her family and friends held her up in prayer. It was a tough time. Our daily, normal routine stopped for a few days as we focused only on Ashley and her health. Good days are ahead for her and us, but trouble will come again, most assuredly. And God will be right where He always is during a trial or a good day—by our side. 

We can’t expect the unexpected, but we can know unexpected things will come and God will be there to hold us up. 

Hugs, Chrys