What if my faith isn’t as strong as I think?
The question haunted me in late 2011 and wouldn’t go away, which really confused me. After all, life was good. I’d accomplished a long-time dream of becoming a traditionally published author and had a godly husband to share life with.
Having faith when life is good is easy. In hindsight, I wonder if God wasn’t whispering for me to get ready—the ride was about to get bumpy. And it did. The school district I worked for eliminated my part-time position. A few days later, I was told my husband would need triple by-pass surgery. That was scary, but it was only the beginning.
After developing Bell’s palsy in April, my family doctor insisted I have an MRI—just to be sure everything was okay. After the MRI, I received a phone message. “You have two shadows on your MRI that might be something called a schwannoma.”
Notice the word might. Might sounded good to me, so I ignored the message. A bad idea, but I had a doctor’s appointment in a week or so anyway. When I went to the appointment, I told my doctor I hadn’t followed up on the MRI results.
The following day, the doctor called to tell me I had an appointment with a neurosurgeon the next day at seven a.m. When the doctor calls, you know your life’s about to change—but I had no idea how much.
Sure enough, the MRI showed two schwannomas—also known as acoustic neuromas and almost always benign. Bad news . . . they can’t be ignored. I had a genetic condition called Neurofibromatosis Type 2.
Five years later, I’ve lost all my hearing in my right ear, and the doctors are working to save what’s left of my hearing in the other. My condition causes chronic balance problems, making it difficult to walk—and making it problematic to have the peace Jesus says He gives.
Life has hills and valleys and can be tough whether we are good Christians or not. When adversity comes—and it will—decide to face it in a godly way that will honor God.
Don’t let adversity steal your peace. Trust God to give you peace beyond your comprehension.
(Photo courtesy of pixabay.)
(For more devotions, visit Christian Devotions.)
Lillian lives in a small town in Ohio with her husband. She writes the types of books she loves to read—fast-paced suspense and mystery, with a touch or two of romance that demonstrates God’s love for all of us. She was a school speech pathologist for thirty years but retired after being diagnosed with bilateral brain tumors due to Neurofibromatosis Type 2 (NF2), a rare genetic disease. Whether as an educator, a writer, or a speech pathologist, she believes in the power of words—especially God’s Word—to transform lives. To learn more about Lillian and her books, visit: www.lillian-duncan.com.