Trials of Various Kinds

So the last couple of weeks have been totally crazy! Since we are supposed to consider it pure joy when we face many different trials I am trying hard (with some success I am happy to say) to find joy in the thing that have been occurring.

It all started about 3 weeks ago when M and I both got sick. Not a big deal, but it is the third time I have had the same ear/throat infection in 4 months. Very frustrating. Then, on the way home from Awana two weeks ago I hit a 350 pound calf. It had gotten out and was across the road from its mama when I drove by and scared it back across the road. It wasn't catastrophic, but it did do quite a bit of damage to our Jeep and left it undrivable. God was definitely with me as I drove home that night when I normally would have been driving 65 or 70 mph I had slowed down and was going about 25 causing much less damage to me, the Jeep, and the calf! I thought that I had done pretty well in dealing with this trial and giving the glory to God. I think He was just preparing me for the next big thing.

I am currently doing a Bible study at church based on the book One in a Million by Priscilla Shirer. It is a fabulous Bible study that deals with living life in an intimate relationship with your Creator. It is one more example of God placing me in a study that deals with me exactly where I am and exactly what I need to be hearing right now. Well, just after the calf incident the Bible study talked about the purpose of trials and how we deal with them. It talked about how God can use things in our lives to bring our focus back to Him, to trust Him more and to have a more intimate relationship with Him. It asked me to think back on a trial that I had not succeeded in trusting God and to make it right with Him. During that conversation with God I told Him that I would trust Him with my family. Little did I know that He was preparing me for the next day.

Remember that M had been sick, so she was on an antibiotic. I forgot to give it to her on Tuesday morning before school, but I had to go to Guymon for Bible study so I figured I would take it with me and stop and give it to her when I passed the school. Well, for some reason I didn't make it before the study. That is a part I can't figure out, I had time and I remembered, I just didn't do it. So after Bible study on the way to my weekly lunch date with my dearest Love I stopped at the school. It was time for after lunch recess so I went out to the playground looking around for M, I finally found her sitting on the teacher's lap. I walked up and Mrs. Harrington turned and said “well where did you come from? I just sent Mrs. Portillo to call you”. M had been hurt on the slide when someone else slid down while she was still sitting at the bottom. Later we found out that she had broken her wrist in two places essentially dislocating her wrist. We were originally told that the break was very bad and that she would have to have surgery to repair it. Fortunately, God led us to a great orthopedic surgeon who was able to easily spot the problems and set the bone without surgery.

I know that this post has gone on and on, but I feel that I had to tell the whole story in order to give God all of the glory. I can see how He so carefully orchestrated all of the events of the past two weeks. Of course, they are not things that we wanted to happen. There are several concerns about all of this like M's frustration in dealing with limitations and having the grace to deal with it well and how are we going to pay for another major medical event, but through it all I see God and how He has put us just where we need to be and when. These major questions, instead of being something scary to me are something that make me excited to see how our Awesome and Amazing God is going to work out this situation! I am encouraged to see how much He cares for us, to see how He is shaping my little girl into His image, and how He can use even the “bad” things or painful things in our life to pull us into a more personal and loving relationship with Him. He is such a great God, I hope that you know Him, if you don't please ask someone who does know Him. You can find out more information here or email me at mmking at gmail . com. It is the most important decision you will ever make!

So for now, all is good. M's arm is casted, but not hurting her. The Jeep is not totaled and getting fixed while the insurance company is working with us. And I am trusting God to use these events to help me know Him better!