Of Fears and Worries and Trust and Soul-Rest

Realizing that God often uses hard times to draw us near to Him has been a recent distraction for me.  Because I have been anxious about much.  So much worry… like my new fear of bees due to my newfound allergic reaction to their stings.  And the horribly huge biggest black/brown spider that I found lurking in the dark bottom of a bucket in the garage (the squishing of which caused me to walk around with my face all puckered-up, grossed-out-like for probably an hour).

And then there’s the whole my-daughter’s-getting-her-tonsils-removed-this-week fear, which has been known to consume my thoughts and eat up every ounce of peace within me since the day the surgery was scheduled.  Because she has really struggled with illness and difficult (but oh-so-temporary) health issues in the past two years.  Because I do not do well around blood.  Neither do I do well around barf.  (Sorry — just keepin’ it real.)  And those are two very real possible factors when it comes to a six-year-old having surgery.

But God is good.  Always.  And He uses grace and mercy to pull us near.  So we’ll know Him intimately.  Sure, sometimes He uses difficult seasons and hard times as tools to get us to see that grace and mercy more clearly.  (Including, but not limited to, lots of barf .  I’m speaking both literally and figuratively here.)  But not always.  I mean, He loves to give good gifts to His children.

Thus, the culmination of the aforementioned distraction.  Because I have decided to trust Who I AM says He Is.  Good.  Compassionate.  Kind.  Loving and merciful.  My Refuge and my Rock.  No matter what. 

 So this week I am asking my perfect and good and always Sovereign Heavenly Father to show Himself compassionate and good to my sweet little girl as she first goes through this surgery and then as she heals.  Because He said I could ask boldly.  Because He said He likes to give good gifts.  Because I trust Who He is more than what I think He should do.

Because He promised His peace and soul-rest for the burdened. 

So that’s where I’ll be while my baby girl gets her tonsils and adenoids removed.  And it’s where I’ll stay all week as she heals.  Clinging to Jesus for soul-rest.  And trusting Him to give it.

Join me?