For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair;”
2 Corinthians 4:6-8 ESV
Can you think of a time that you have been afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair, that you could share with us?
For me, our first hospital stay for our son, Jeremy, comes to mind.
We were afflicted:
Jeremy was 9 months old, paralyzed on the right side of his body, and had just been diagnosed with a brain tumor.
But not crushed:
God directed us from a doctor at the closest hospital to our house to a suggestion (even though it was probably nothing to worry about) to make sure everything was okay at St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children. There, we received excellent medical care.
We were afflicted:
It was five days (which always feel longer while there) in the hospital, filled with many unknowns. I was newly pregnant with our son, Nathan, and feeling sick and weak.
But not crushed:
Hundreds of people were praying, and we felt their prayers! God covered us with His grace and enabled us to stand in faith we didn’t know we could have.
We were perplexed:
We were sent home with seizure meds to administer three times a day, scheduled with multiple doctor appointments, and instructed to continue follow-up MRIs to keep an eye on the tumor. The plan was to wait and see if it grew and hopefully have time for the fonts of his skull to close and harden so they could do surgery to remove it.
But not driven to despair:
In a follow-up appointment with a neurosurgeon, he was looking at the MRI scans and suddenly exclaimed, “It’s gone! The tumor is gone!” He went on to say how glad he was that he hadn’t done surgery to remove it, to which we said we were glad too!
We were perplexed:
Even with this miracle, it was the beginning of a journey into the medical world with Jeremy’s health. He still takes seizure meds to this day and deals with his motor skills and other health issues being a challenge.
But not driven to despair:
All of the trials Jeremy has been through have strengthened him in the Lord. Today, he serves as a missionary for Child Evangelism Fellowship, getting Bible clubs into local public elementary schools and giving children and families the gospel, as well as opportunities to connect with local churches, among other great work being done. He is currently pursuing his master’s degree in children’s ministry with a focus on ministry to kids with special needs–kids who deal with challenges that he has had and wants to encourage them as he has been encouraged.
2 Corinthians 4:6-8 Song