“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.”- Isaiah 43:2
It was the phone call you dread as a parent. We got the worst news we thought we could hear. A good friend in Big Fork, Montana called me to ask if I’d heard about my son Philip. He told me Philip was in surgery and he just wanted to make sure we knew. Of course, I was shocked and did not know about the accident. So I called the Billings Clinic in Billings, Montana and found out our son was in surgery because of a motorcycle accident that had occurred at 3am that morning. Eventually I spoke to a doctor who told me that he was still in surgery and, although stable, the surgery would take an additional three hours. It was a punch in the gut. We called our other two children and asked them to come home to wait for a phone call from his neurosurgeon. We began texting friends and family about his accident and asked them to pray. The school he was due to graduate from in a week, Rocky Mountain College, turned out to be a great group and a community. We heard that many of Philip’s friends had stayed in the hospital since news spread that he was in an accident. His good friend Sam had done such a great job of being the point person because she and her husband cared for him like they did own children. That was very apparent to us. We eventually heard from the doctor who told us that he broke his nose and that a piece of bone went into his brain. They successfully removed that bone from the frontal lobe, but this, of course, was difficult to comprehend and accept. The future remained very uncertain and intensely uncomfortable. The numbness in our soul began to nag. Tears came and went like the waves of the ocean, unpredictable and often uncontrollable.
We left our home and had our kids take us to the airport where we hopped on a plane for Billings. We arrived at 11pm. It was, as you would imagine, a horribly long flights. When we arrived at the hospital there were still ten or so of Philip’s faithful friends who were in the waiting room late that night. That encouraged us so much. It was simultaneously comforting just to be with him and also disturbing to see him in such condition. He looked very rough with tubes and wires all over the place. It was encouraging, though, when we grabbed his hand and as we spoke reassurance, he acknowledged our presence. He had been responding to basic commands, which was a good sign for neurological recovery. We were just relieved to be with him, although small, that was a comfort to us. We left the hospital at 3am and went to the hotel for a couple of hours of “sleep.”
The next morning the nurse said that he was doing quite well and he was succeeding 100% in regards to the neurological tests she gave him. He even indicated that he wanted to communicate by writing. He made a “writing” motion to say this.
Even though the tears came and went, we were encouraged. The unpredictable state of his brain injury and how it would affect his personality, cognitive abilities, and his career, were yet to be determined. It was a sad time for all of us. Here is the passage of Scripture where we camped out during this horrific moment:
“When you go through deep waters and great trouble, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown! When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up: the flames will not consume you. For I am the LORD, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.”
We were very sad about the accident, and occasionally angry that it happened because it shook our world. As I mentioned we cried a lot, and cried out to the Lord a lot more. It was disconcerting to experience such painful moments.
As believers, when such pain enters our lives, we can respond in one of two ways, usually responding both ways during the experience. First, we can try our best to rationalize and make sense of what we’re experiencing. During those moments we do our best to understand the dilemma. But, as Christians, we must eventually arrive at the second way, and that is acquiescence to our God and King. He is sovereign and always righteous even when He may not show His will. But it is a perfect will. His ways are not our ways, but His character is always perfect and He is entirely trustworthy.
Through our experience, we were comforted in our pain by God. He displayed His love through the inner peace, but also through His other children who prayed for us and comforted us through their prayers, kind words, and tangible gifts (food, money, time, hugs, tears).
When you encounter inexplicable circumstances where do you turn? Who or what do you trust?
How does God’s character encourage you as you walk through the valley? How have you seen His perfect will provide peace?
Read Matthew 8:23-27. How can we find comfort in this story?
In what ways are you seeking comfort today?
Prayer:
“Father, I want to believe and trust You no matter what life brings my way, but it is sometimes very difficult. I don’t understand you and your ways, but I want to trust you regardless because you have never failed me. Your mercies are new every morning. You’re kindness never fails. Your word says that in Christ You call me friend and have called me to holiness and righteousness. In Christ, you have adopted me. I thank you for that but am often caught up in the thinking that says, like the man whose son was healed by Jesus despite his struggle to trust Him. He said, “I do believe, Lord, but help me in my unbelief.” That, too, is my prayer Lord. Help me in my weakness to recall that you are with me when I am in deep waters. Thank You for never failing me. I worship You.”
Neale Davis 