FOCUS ON THE LORD, NOT ON THE STORM

It was a really hard day. My mom had reached what appeared to be the end of her two-year battle with Lou Gehrig's disease without much physical distress, but suddenly she began to have spasms in her throat that would stop her breathing instantly. Her husband and children gathered around her bed and attempted to calm her as we watched her turn darker colours of blue. Repeatedly, I bowed my head and asked God to help, then opened my eyes confidently, and yet nothing changed.

After several hours, a breakthrough came, her symptoms abated, and she rested comfortably once again. For that I was grateful, but there was a nagging question in the forefront of my mind:"Lord, why didn't you stop her suffering right away? You have never failed me.....what happened today?"

I spent another night at Mom's bedside, reassuring, medicating, and making sure she was comfortable. I talked to my Heavenly Father. I felt so weary and sick inside. I could feel my foundation being tested and wondered if it would hold. The next morning the Lord spoke quietly to me and reminded me of an account in the Bible. It was the one of Peter walking on the water with his eyes fixed on the Lord. He was in the midst of the storm doing things that he never imagined he could do, and then it happened. Peter saw the storm and realized that he was in the midst of a very bad situation, with very real waves churning under his feet. He began to sink because he took his eyes off the Lord and became caught up in the storm.

A burden lifted from my heart and was replaced by renewed, simple trust as I turned the eyes of my soul toward my Lord. And then, with redeemed emotion, I recalled what had occurred during Mom's episode just prior to her calming.

At a loss of what to do for my mom, Dad had asked me to call our pastor. He and others from the church came and we gathered around Mom's bed. One woman had come to sing some hymns. I told her that she would need to come back later. She brushed by me to my mother's bedside, opened her worn hymnal, and began to sing. Others joined in, but I couldn't even choke out a note. "Turn your eyes upon Jesus/look full in His wonderful face./And the things of earth will grow strangely dim/in the light of His glory and grace."

I looked at my mom and was amazed. There she lay, peaceful and serene, breathing normally. She could not open her eyes or move a muscle in her body because of the disease, yet her spirit had laid hold of the Master's hand.

The praise continued for a long time and we were refreshed. How faithful He is to test our foundation and to give us what we need. From:A cup of comfort