As a mother of four I have had my fair share of difficult times. The diagnosis of ADHD for my second son was a particular challenge, as so many people disbelieve that such a condition exists, and put poor behaviour down to bad parenting. A sensible diet, behavioural techniques and finally medication are helping us through Oliver’s particular problems.
Nothing, however, not even the death of my father, could prepare me for the news that my eldest son has a severe scoliosis (curvature of the spine) and requires an operation. For the first time, something is happening to one of my children, and I have no control whatsoever over the situation. There is no therapy, no diet or exercise, that will help Rowean. Instaead we have to wait for a surgeon to cut his back open and insert titanium rods over a period of 4 hours. Then we will wait whilst he recovers in intensive care, we will take him home, where he will have to rest for around 3 months, missing a huge part of his vital GSCE year. We have to explain to the boy whose only ambition since he was 2 has been to join the RAF, that he almost certainly can’t.
As a Christian, what am I to make of this? Where is the ‘up’ side? Well, as a bit of a control freak, I am having to learn to trust The Lord completely and utterly. I know that I am not strong enough to support my family, and myself through this very trying time. Only God has the strength I need. I was handed a reading from a booklet by a lady at my prayer group. It mentioned 2 lessons that we learn from life’s storms-
1, You must trust what God has told you, and
2, You must remind yourself who’s in the boat with you.
The Bible is full of comfort and reassurance if only we allow ourselves to believe, and trust in God’s promises. As my family goes into one of life’s storms, I am so overjoyed that Jesus is in our boat, and I know that although we will be blown about by this storm, we will not sink.
