I would like to think I have one of the world’s saddest excuses for the immune system of a twenty-two year old woman.
I’m not joking- I take zinc, vitamin C, allergy medication, and so much more in the morning with the hopes that I can avoid things as minor as a common cold or as large as covid-19 and monkeypox. I have a pill organizer and everything. I don’t play.
That hasn’t stopped my body from laughing at me though.
It seems like every two weeks I'm down with something new, and it often finds a way to repeat itself. This summer alone I have contracted what we think to be salmonella (JIF peanut butter did me wrong), food poisoning (TWICE), strep throat, a common cold, and many migraines. Though, I can rejoice that I have somehow avoided covid. Knock on wood. Needless to say, sickness isn’t a new thing to me.
I have found myself more frustrated than ever I encountered these symptoms, knowing that it was keeping me from many things, such as reaching my full potential at work, spending time with friends, and just gathering good rest.
That being said, I am reminded of a time in which I was feeling similar frustrations.
It was my final semester at Bryan College, and I was determined to make it my best semester. I found myself slacking many times throughout my undergrad (Apologies to my professors), and I refused to regret my last semester of learning. So, when I still found myself getting sick throughout the semester, I was beyond frustrated.
I wanted so badly to feel better and perform well; not just to raise my GPA, but to actually gain knowledge and wisdom from the professors who taught me.
There was one specific week where I can remember myself throwing a pity party to the Lord about how bad I had it. Woe is me, my Lord. I simply cannot catch a break. Why have you made it to where I am constantly getting sick? What the heck, God! Are you even there? This is pathetic.I began to question His presence in my life.
But oh, how fast the Lord can put us in our rightful place.
On that cold February week, I found out that one of our family friends, and most devout Christians, had been diagnosed with stage four stomach cancer. My heart broke.
It broke for our friend. It broke for his family. It broke over my selfishness. The conviction of the Holy Spirit tore through me like a wild fire in a dry field.
I was so caught up in my own problems that I forgot the context of the world we live in- everyone has problems, and most are far worse than mine. So the Lord checked me in that moment, reminding me that there are bigger problems. Sure, there is value to our feelings, but they lose said value when we make them the sun in which we revolve around. In reminding me of the problems that others have, He also reminded me of where my mindset and priorities had been.
I had replaced the presence of the Lord with the presence of my problems.
I refused to see that God was working and still faithful if it wasn’t in the way I saw fit.
I was a slave to my own bad attitude.
I hope and pray that I am not alone, as I share this message. I believe it is so easy to get caught up in our own world that we forget the One who created it. We forget that we have a God who brings us through trials, as little as a consistent contraction of a cold or the faltering health of a loved one. This isn’t a new concept- The Lord is shown to be near to those who hurt and anguish all through Scripture.
A story that often keeps me in perspective is the story of Joseph.
Joseph was the son of Jacob and Rachel, and he was their favorite. Now, if any of you have other siblings, you may know the feeling of seeing one of them be the favorite, or maybe you're the favorite. Nonetheless, those who aren’t the favorite could easily develop a tendency to be jealous. In this case, Joseph’s brothers became so jealous that they were ready to kill him (something I hope none of us have thought about!). But, instead of killing him they sold him to a group of merchants who took him to Egypt and sold him to the captain of the guard. Not too long after Joseph was met with false accusations from the wife of his master, and he was tossed into prison. He had it pretty rough.
Some of you may feel as if you can relate to Joseph. Maybe you're thinking, Wow, the trials that Joseph faced are so relatable and applicable to my life. You may be right.
But, I think that we often do not fully grasp the gravity of Joseph’s trials.
He was betrayed by his own brothers. Pleaded with them for his life, and human trafficked by his own family for what would be worth about $200 nowadays. He was accused of raping a woman. Then, he was thrown into jail for a crime he did not commit. Let’s take the word “pretty” from my previous statement. Joseph had it rough.
Here’s the beauty of it all: in chapter thirty-nine, we see the phrase “The Lord was with Joseph” four different times, each followed by a blessing.
If the Lord was with Joseph in each one of these terrible trials, who are we to believe that He is not with us in the small ones?
I often wonder how often I have forgotten how big that God we serve is. How His character never changes. How He is shown to be faithful all throughout Scripture.
So, hear me today, you have a God who is present with you in all circumstances- the good and bad, the heavy burdens and the scarce, the valley and the mountain top.Let us not forget to praise God even when everything in life seems perfect!
“And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Matthew 28:20b (NIV)
“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Romans 8:38-39 (NIV)
"Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me."
Psalm 23:4 (NIV)
The Lord is ready for us to accept His comfort and presence within your day to day life. It’s always been there. We just have to choose to see it. Allow the Lord to show you places in your life where you are not trusting His consistent presence. Turn your trials over to the Father, and allow it to be a part of your testimony. That’s what He’s doing with me- repeatedly, I might add.
Songs for reflection, prayer, and singing:
“The Story I’ll Tell” - Maverick City Music
“Faithful” - Elevation Worship
“Yes I Will” - Vertical Worship
“Great is Thy Faithfulness” - Shane & Shane
“Promises” - Maverick City Music
“You Never Let Go” - Passion, Matt Redman
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