What does it mean to trust God with everything?
I’m trying to figure that out now. Ordinarily I feel like I’m a person with pretty strong faith. I’ve faced some serious mountains in my life, and in everything God has been faithful. In every dead situation he has brought forth new life. After every storm he has brought the dove and led me to dry land. He has rescued me, time and again. And in return I have shown him the deepest faith I could muster.
I’ve always known that God gives and takes away. I’ve heard it all my life, experienced it to certain degrees even. But I never felt the full weight of it until two weeks ago, when I miscarried my unborn baby.
God, why?
What good could come of such a thing? What could possibly rise from the ashes here, Lord? There is no good here. There is only despair, heartache, emptiness.
It’s hard to explain to someone who hasn’t experienced it the pain of a miscarriage. Imagine the anticipation of a beautiful and unexpected change in your life. A surge of potentials, a surge of dreams. Planning, praying, preparing. Doctor’s visits. Seeing things on a screen that jolt you from fear and anxiety to joy and anticipation–instantly.
"See that? That’s the heartbeat. My gosh, babe, that’s a heartbeat. Our baby is half a centimeter but it’s got a heartbeat. Imagine that."
You envision your future in a whole new light. There’s a date several months away that’s meaningless to most people, but it means absolutely everything to you. Your life will change, and it’s going to be for the better. God has given you a gift. It’s a gift that you didn’t expect, but it must be part of God’s plan even if it wasn’t part of yours. Okay, God, I got this. I get it now. Let’s do this.
And all of a sudden you’re ready. You’re excited. It’s go time.
And then one night something is wrong.
"Why are you feeling like this? Why is this happening? Should we call the doctor, go to the hospital?"
No, because in a moment it’s over. It’s over, everything you thought was happening is no longer, and you’re on your knees on the bathroom floor crying out to God in utter despair. Why?
I thought if I listened to God obediently and followed his direction I would be okay. I thought that trusting him with an unexpected and untimely pregnancy would bring me favor. It was bad timing and less than ideal circumstances, but I believed. I was faithful. I said yes, God, I’ll do this. This must be your plan. It must be your will. So I’m all in.
But then in an instant it was gone. I didn’t understand. I don’t understand.
I’m still asking why. Maybe I’ll always be asking why.
What does it mean to trust God with everything?
I think it means trusting when it doesn’t make sense; having faith when the world looks on and says you have no reason to. It means that you truly believe in something greater than human understanding, a Creator that is so loving and so powerful and all-knowing that there is no possible way to comprehend his will. It means that you trust your Maker so deeply that even when he takes away in ways that are totally incomprehensible, you hold fast to faith, because you know that he is good in all things.
Our world is so small. The things we can see in one lifetime are miniscule in comparison to what the God of the universe sees in one moment.
That doesn’t necessarily make it easier. It doesn’t make the pain go away. But it reminds us that this is not the end. It reminds us that there is an end to our toils and our tears. It reminds us that through it all, we are held in his love.
We are never promised an easy life–but we are promised that God will work everything for our good, if we love him. Everything. Even our suffering and heartache. Even the loss of our unborn children. Everything. It’s a promise. And it’s a promise I’ll believe because, although I am not always given a reason why everything happens, I have never experienced an unfulfilled promise from my Savior. And so I will believe, and I will trust, and I will give praise.
“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand” (Isaiah 41:10).
P.S. Sometimes in times like these it’s helpful to have a song that you can go to that reminds you to continue to keep hoping. Here’s the one that has been my anthem these past two weeks. I hope that if you’re facing something similar it will encourage you like it has me. It’s a reminder to those of us who have seen God move in our lives in the past to hold onto him. No matter what we face, we know there is One who is able to heal, bring joy and restore. He’s done it before and he will do it again.
“And if there’s anybody here who’s found him faithful
Anybody here who knows he’s able
Say Amen
And if there’s anybody here who’s seen his power
Anybody here brought through the fire
Say Amen
Anybody here found joy in the middle of sorrow
Peace in the storm, hope for tomorrow
And seen it time and time again
Then just say Amen”
Article ran originally on The Unlimited Mom. Used with permission.
Chelsea Sherman is a writer/communication guru living in Virginia Beach. She currently serves as the Communication Director for Spring Branch Community Church. She is also a health blogger and freelance writer for Coastal Virginia Magazine and the volunteer Communication Manager for the nonprofit All We Are. She loves Jesus, spending time with her daughter and her husband, working out, eating bacon and Netflix binging.
Publication date: September 4, 2014