Hitting an Icy Patch in Life

By Melissa Zimmerman

On a cold, windy night in March my husband, daughter, and I were traveling home on some icy drifting roads. Suddenly, our already-bald-tires were spinning rapidly in a frantic effort to find traction on the icy, uphill road. To make matters even more stressful, we began sliding backward down the hill—we weren't even in reverse! Thankfully, oncoming traffic gave us the space we needed and we were able to turn around and go home another way.

As I reflected on that unnerving experience, I felt as if I could compare that to our daughter's journey with severe scoliosis.

That feeling of everything spinning out of control began in January of 2018 when we realized the severity of her 49 degree spinal curve. The fears, the unknowns, and feelings of helplessness came to the forefront of our lives.

The frantic effort to gain traction—putting a lot of time, money, and hard work into daily exercises to help her.

And the helpless, devastating feeling of sliding backward, seeing her curve progress in the midst of all our efforts.

Don't get me wrong, there have been many praises along the way: insurance paying for some of the treatments, an initial 14 degree improvement, doctors who gave their expertise in so many ways, and the prayers, encouragement, and financial help from so many friends and family!

I remember the glimmer of hope God gave me on one of the darkest days in that first week after her diagnosis. I was reading Sarah Young's devotional for kids (Jan 26) for our family devotions and finished with leaking eyes:

"Trust Me Anyway

I told you these things so that you can have peace in me. In this world, you will have trouble. But be brave! I have defeated the world. John 16:33

You might be thinking that you deserve a problem-free life. But that is simply not true. You want an answer to every problem you face. But that will not happen. Just as I told My disciples, in this world you will have trouble! If you walk with Me, I won't promise you a problem-free life, but I will promise you a problem-free eternity. So stop wasting your energy, wishing that everything was perfect. Instead, pour your energy into seeking Me: the Perfect One. I am the Light in a dark world. When everything is going wrong, trust Me with all your heart. When everything seems dark and confusing- that is when My Light shines brightest."

Indeed, life did feel dark and confusing, so I clung to the light of Christ to see us through! But, like so many aspects of life, I longed for a quick-fix and the ability to move on with life. However, with scoliosis there is no quick-fix—it is a lifelong battle of dealing with back pain with or without surgery. That was probably the hardest reality for me to grasp; her 2 hours of daily exercises have no real end in sight. The added pressure I put on myself, as a mother, to do what is best for her now so that she doesn't have flare-ups in adulthood, was too much for me to bear. How can I, a mere human, possibly know my child's future and what procedures will most likely lead her to a pain-free life ahead?

That's when God reminded me that my daughter was "fearfully and wonderfully made by Him" (Psalm 139) and "the very number of hairs on her head are numbered, so I do not need to worry because she is valuable to Him." (Luke 12:7)

Studying the life of Jesus, He was also faced with difficulties here on Earth. So what did He do when circumstances were weighing on Him? From Scripture, we read that:

—He went to secluded places to seek God

—He invited His closest friends to support Him

—He was honest with God

—He surrendered to God

—He was persistent with God

—He let God be His supply

—He treasured and knew God's Word

(Matt 26:36-46)

Even though we are unsure of where my daughter's journey will take us, we have the confidence that God will show us the way. Perhaps, you are also facing a diagnosis or difficulty with many unknowns, but I encourage you to seek God and He will open and close the appropriate doors. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6

Dear God,

Even as the fire purifies my heart, remind me to always come to You as I sift through the trials that discourage and diminish my hope. Though the world is broken, I am grateful that You invite me to call on You for healing, help, and comfort. I treasure the fact that you became broken so that these miracles of goodness are made possible.

In Jesus name,

Amen.

Today's blog post was submitted by Melissa Zimmerman, a stay-at-home mom of three. Melissa is passionate about encouraging women in their faith journeys and writes on her blog at: controlrelinquished.blogspot.com. When she's not writing or mothering, you can find her involved in Women's Ministry her home church, Weaverland, or assisting her husband in their growing real estate company.