Greetings,
On the last DEVO I shared, we gained a new perspective about fleas, that the infestation God allowed among women in a concentration camp kept them safe from cruel guards who would have otherwise taken horrific advantage of them. The fleas were a gift from God. Can we say the same about other things that happen to us that we may not fully understand?
Today I want to share something about my sister, Aldys, who has graciously given me permission to do so.
For the past several weeks she has been dealing with some severe pain in her side and after visiting several different specialists, her OB/GYN finally narrowed it down to a cyst that is growing on her ovary. The pain has been unbearable at times, and she was scheduled for surgery last Friday, October 12, 2018. She was actually looking forward to it because even though it meant hormone replacement therapy (she had her other ovary removed a few years ago) and a few weeks recovering, she was eager to be pain-free.
But two days before the operation she noticed a little rash on her backside. She immediately went to the emergency room, and that’s where they diagnosed shingles. They started her on anti-viral medication right then and there, and then she called me, struggling to hold onto hope. Having shingles meant no surgery. All those pre-op tests useless. All the preparation a waste. Worst of all, she would have to endure the pain until surgery could be rescheduled.
When she called me with the news, she was on the verge of tears, and I struggled to stay positive. I did not understand the timing or the purpose. But hey, I am a child of the living God and I got my act together and did what God has called each of us to do: pray, be an encouragement, put trust in the One Who is trustworthy.
I reminded her that we have been praying about this for a while already. Every word, concern, and fear has been heard by Jesus. That He is in control and has good reasons for allowing this. When I first started my upbeat chat, I kind of believed everything I said, but by the time I was finished, I fully embraced everything we spoke about as TRUTH and that NOTHING would take our eyes and faith and hope off Christ.
Well, dear brothers and sisters, the shingles is what was causing the pain in the first place! The cyst is now a non-issue. Had that rash not appeared, she would have been operated in vain! She would have started hormone therapy for no good reason! She would have missed work for nothing!
Those last-minute shingles kept her from unnecessary surgery. Amen, amen amen!
“You parents - if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not! So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good and advantageous gifts to those who ask Him" (Matthew 7:9-11)!
Those last-minute shingles were an “advantageous gift” indeed.
The key in the verse above is to ask. When we ask, He gives. When we pray, He responds. If you are experiencing some “shingles” of your own, even if you have been praying for a long time, trust the Lord that something good is in the works.
PRAYER: Dear Lord, we ask for Your forgiveness for all the times we have complained about receiving “shingles” when all along it was exactly what we needed to be blessed and bless others. Help us to trust Your goodness over what our eyes see and what our puny little human minds think. Change our perspective today. When we ask You, You give only the best gifts. We are grateful. In Jesus’ name, AMEN.
