Girlfriends in God - July 21, 2008

July 21, 2008

The Wreck that Saved her Life

Today’s Truth

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28 NIV).

Friend to Friend

When Gayle was in her early thirties, she began having trouble with her knees. Chronic pain in her right knee sent her to the doctor’s office on a regular basis for cortisone injections. Because Gayle’s mother had joint pain in her knees most of her adult life, Gayle resigned herself to the same fate-arthritis. The doctor never x-rayed or performed an MRI to diagnose the problem but prescribed treatment according to symptoms and a family history of joint pain.

One night, after five years of cortisone injections, Gayle and her husband attended a basketball game with another couple. On the way, she twisted around in the front seat of their car to talk to the couple in the back. As they chatted, she noticed an 18-wheel semi-trailer’s headlight rapidly approaching their car. Before she could even warn the other passengers, the truck plowed into the back of their car at 55 miles per hour. Because of Gayle’s position, her knees were smashed into the dashboard.

The driver of the truck had fallen asleep at the wheel and never even applied the brakes before impact. Gayle’s car was totaled, but no one in the car was hurt except Gayle and her arthritic knee. The next day she went to the hospital and the doctor x-rayed her injury. “I don’t know how to tell you this,” he began, “but you have a slow-growing tumor in your right knee.”

“A tumor?” she asked. “How long has it been there?”

“Well, this is a very slow-growing type of tumor that has probably been there for several years. The pain you’ve had hasn’t been arthritis after all. The pain you’ve been experiencing in the past has most likely been due to the tumor causing the bone to expand as the tumor grows. We’re going to have to remove it right away.”

Gayle was scheduled for surgery and the tumor was removed.

Many times when something seemingly bad happens in our lives, like Gayle’s accident, we need to remember that God is the director of the drama. We may not understand the “whys” or the “what fors,” but we can trust in the extraordinary God who controls it all.

Let’s Pray

Dear Lord, So many times I do not understand why certain things happen. But I do know that You are good…all the time. All your ways are loving and all Your ways are kind. Help me to trust in Your sovereign plan when I don’t understand.

In Jesus’ Name, Amen

Now it’s Your Turn

Have you ever had one of those times when you didn’t understand why something was happening and then years later it all came clearly into view?

What does the word “sovereign” mean to you?

If that is a new word for you, look it up in a dictionary. Now, what does it mean that God is Sovereign?

More from the Girlfriends

Today’s devotion was taken from Sharon’s new devotional book, Extraordinary Moments with God. Come with Sharon as she dusts for God’s fingerprints that change ordinary days into extraordinary moments. As you explore this treasury of stories highlighting “God moments” in the lives of fellow travelers, you too will begin to sense His presence in extraordinary ways. If you would like to learn more about God’s sovereign plans for your life, see Dreams of a Woman: God’s Plan for fulfilling Your Dreams.