Kimberly Karns
Doctors. Nurses. Hospitals. The smell of antiseptic and the rub of patient ID bands on my wrist. Much of my family’s time has been spent in medical facilities over the past few months caring for the needs of two of my children.
Being a mother of four, free time is a luxury! And when sickness comes, a mother’s concern is heightened. One of my sons, Noah, had a broken arm exacerbated by a birth injury. My husband and I made several trips back and forth to a Philadelphia hospital for operations on his arm.
One of my other sons, Elijah, developed severe symptoms that may have been cancerous. Putting works with our faith, we took him to a Pittsburgh hospital for testing.
Both of these circumstances were unnerving to say the least. So many parents would choose to suffer in place of their children. Nonetheless, these were opportunities to teach them to grow their faith and trust in God’s awesome ability to heal.
As for the way I was feeling, I Peter 1:7 says “That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:” While the physical exhaustion and the anguish of the trial were real, I was focused on making sure I was setting a good example for my sons.
It is through difficult times like I have experienced where we discover the depths of our joyous experience. Like an athlete who is battling to the very end and must rely on training, so is the Christian enduring the battle as a good soldier. Toughness. Grit. Joy.
These characteristics are what separate the Christian and the unbeliever. “That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.” Everyone goes through hard times in life but the person who has their faith settled in God comes through the same trials exponentially stronger.
The joy Christians feel is something that is hard to describe. Waiting on the doctor’s report in the hospital, my husband and I were prepared for the worst, yet praying for the best possible outcome. God’s spirit in us, no matter the circumstance, is the defining factor that determines whether we are in turmoil or at rest.
“There is peace in the midst of my storm-tossed life. There’s an Anchor, there’s a Rock to rest my faith upon. Jesus rides in my vessel so I’ll feel no alarm. He gives me peace in the midst of the storm.”
