by Paige Eavenson
On March 25,2013 I was speaking at our Beautiful Monday night Bible study and I made the statement ,"Our God is a God of surprises. Sometimes, when we least expect it, he touches us with a miracle and our life is changed forever."
I was speaking about Mary and Elizabeth from the Bible and how God surprised them with pregnancies and sons that literally forever changed their lives and the lives of countless men and women. Little did I know at that time, that God was about to touch my life with a surprise that would truly changed my life.
The next day, after Beautiful Monday night, I took my daughter Corrie to her 8 week well check at the pediatrician. She's my 4th child and seemed to be healthy so I expected it to be a routine check. When the doctor saw Corrie he immediately noticed she was still a little jaundiced for being 8 weeks old and sent us to the lab for some blood work. I wasn't thinking much of it and after her blood work I dropped Corrie and one of her sisters off at my moms and I went to Wal Mart for some Easter basket shopping. While in Wal-Mart, I got the call from the pediatrician saying I needed to come back quickly to his office. He had some things to explain to me and he wasn't comfortable explaining them over the phone.
The unknowns of what he was about to tell me, instantly made my mommy panic radar kick in and I was faced with a decision; I was either going to give into fear or face what was to come with faith. I wish I could tell you I had this unshakable faith but the truth of it is, I was gripped with fear of the unknown. When I got back to the doctors office the pediatrician said my daughter might possibly have a rare liver disease called Biliary Atresia. This is where her bile ducts from her liver were basically atrophied and she needed a new way for the toxins to drain from her liver out of her body. She would need to be admitted into the hospital to confirm the diagnosis and if it was Biliary Atresia she would have a major surgery where her intestines would be rerouted to give her liver a way to drain the bilirubin and other toxins. If the surgery didn't help the problem, the next step would be for her to have a liver transplant. WHAT!? I thought to myself, my children are healthy, this can not be happening to my child, to my life. This is not the kind of "surprise" I was thinking of when I spoke at church just the night before.
After I left the pediatrician that day, I not only cried but I went into action calling a few of my prayer warrior friends and my mom of course. They each prayed and encouraged me which was a tremendous help, but I knew Jesus and I needed to have a meeting about all this.
When trouble strikes and the unknowns of what is to come grip you with fear the only real solution I've found is to turn to the scriptures. I have learned over the years to find scriptures pertaining to my situation and to read and meditate on them to calm my anxious thoughts. The scripture that kept coming to my mind was the scripture that says "God goes before us." So I Googled what scripture it was that said this and found it in several places in the Bible.
In particular, it said in Deuteronomy 31:8 (NIV) "The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”
When I personalized this scripture I was constantly reminded that God was already at the next unknown place in my journey waiting for me to get there. Although I was very afraid, God's word reminded me I didn't need to be discouraged. Over the past few months following Corrie's initial diagnosis, I have had to face (and continue to face) unknowns that at times are just too much to take in all at once. However, as each unknown has come my way, God has graciously reminded me that he has already been there and to stay in faith and He will make the crooked paths straight. By choosing to walk in faith, God has done so many radical things in such a short time on our journey. It's too much to share here, but I promise you he has radical blessings for you as well if you will stay in faith facing your unknowns.
Corrie and I still have a journey of unknowns ahead of us regarding her health, but I know we are not facing what is to come alone and neither are you. The Lord himself has already gone before us and will be with us each step of the journey.
Are there some unknowns that you are facing that have you in a grip of worry or fear? If so, how has God reminded you that you're not alone? How can you face your unknowns with faith and confidence knowing that God has gone before you? Please share your thoughts in a comment.
If you'd like to follow Corrie's story in more detail feel free to read more about it at www.sincerelypaige.com
Paige Eavenson and her family have been part of Grace Family Church for 13 years. A mom of four, Paige is an avid reader who loves collecting new friends and helping people get connected into small groups. You can learn more about Paige on her blog, www.sincerelypaige.com.