BY BRANDY DAVENPORT, CO-BLOGGER
The hospital hallways were still from footsteps, and the sun had not yet peeked into our room that morning. With my eyes still closed, nestled next to my three-year-old son, I could feel his chest rise and fall. How thankful I was in that moment that he was safe and resting.
The previous 24 hours had been overwhelming and hadn’t fully hit me yet. But this diagnosis of type 1 diabetes would now be our new normal.
My first reaction that morning wasn’t to pray for healing, but for strength. Strength to learn. Strength for my young son. Strength to get through all we would face. I know I was never alone in that room. God was already at work providing the best care.
PRAISE GOD
In the quiet, I climbed out of bed and got on my knees and began to praise God and thank Him. I was overwhelmed with a joy I can’t explain. Tears rolled down my face as I gave up the control I thought I had to protect my children from this decaying world.
I surrendered in the hospital that morning and God did the rest. I committed to trust in Him. I know His way is better. Jesus’s death on the cross is the ultimate example of God’s control over evil, and I needed to cling to that. I knew I could always trust an unknown future to a known and unchanging God.
JOY IN SUFFERING
It seems odd to experience joy during a time of suffering with diabetes – we can’t see the full picture. But our knowledge is limited when compared to God’s big picture view.
As a mother, I would do anything to remove pain from my children. And I believe God wants to use that suffering to show us that we can’t lean on our own understanding or power.
I love what the book of Romans says:
These encouraging words in Romans 5 teach us that we do not rejoice in what we are going through, but we rejoice in God as we go through it. We will suffer, yes, but we are being refined. God is using that experience to bring His hope to us and to others.
What do you struggle with the most when you are going through a trial? What emotions do you feel?
What can you pluck out to be thankful for regardless the circumstance?
LEARN THROUGH THE TRIALS
1 Peter 4 reminds us that just because we are Christians doesn’t mean we are immune to trials. God understands all pain, and the way in which we suffer can show God’s glory to others. This is explained so well in verses 12-13:
What have you learned about God through your chronic illness?
Do you deal with your daily struggles on your own? If you are a caretaker of someone with diabetes, what parts of you has suffering revealed that you might have otherwise ignored?
That morning six years ago was the start of our journey with diabetes. And I still to this day have to choose every day to trust God with this disease. I also still see the joy in the lessons it teaches. We must grow, otherwise we will not be growing in Him.
Dear God, I know suffering is a part of living in this world. Help me to use suffering to slow down and hear Your voice. Help me to experience joy — even in the midst of trials. Help me to remember that You are always with me, and You are working to make me more like Christ every step of the way. Amen.
For Further Reading: James 1:2-4