IT IS WELL WITH MY SOUL. SERIOUSLY!!!

So many times over years past we have quoted to ourselves and others this admonition from Romans 8:28 NIV “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Saying that and truly believing this promise is a bit more difficult when trials come our way.  I haven’t written or wanted to even think of writing a blog in several months.  We’ve been so busy with seemingly endless doctor appointments, medical imaging, ultrasounds and several MRIs, the latest a biopsy MRI.  All this because of cancer first discovered in early June with surgery scheduled for tomorrow, Wednesday, August 16. Because of a different kind of cancer recently discovered, surgery must be rescheduled to a later date.  I’ll skip the details and just say we HOPE to get the surgery behind us within the next few weeks at the most. You notice I say “we” because the wonderful man God brought into my life over 56 years ago is such an integral player in this entire cancer journey! Just this morning Jerry read aloud to me today’s devotion from the book Moments with God by Dr. Jeremiah, entitled “The Intersection”. The scripture referenced is from Romans 5:5 “Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”  Wow!!!! Dr. J goes on to share the following wisdom:

“John Koessler wrote, ‘You can expect to meet Jesus in the most unlikely place—at the intersection of EXPECTATION AND DISAPPOINTMENT. The Jesus you meet there is not the Jesus of your dreams. Nor is He the airbrushed Christ of popular Christianity. He is the enigmatic and unpredictable Jesus of the Bible. You will not forget Him.’”

Dr. Jeremiah goes on to share his own thoughts on this: “Facing disappointment is hard, but it helps to remember the definition of disappointment. It’s God’s way of showing you a better plan. Someone once called disappointments His appointments, and there is truth to that. When it comes to the Lord Himself and His future for us, there cannot be—and never will be—any disappointment. The world defines hope as something we would like to happen, but God’s hope is something guaranteed to happen. It is a sure and certain hope. His kind of hope does not disappoint. But when life itself disappoints you, you’ll find Jesus at the intersection ready to reassure and redirect you.”

Jerry and I are heading off for yet another consultation with our surgeon, so I will wrap this up by saying our HOPE is in God, and we HOPE that whatever you are facing this day will not disappoint or discourage you to the point of losing that blessed HOPE!  When you feel hopeless, please try singing (at least in your mind if not audibly) the song that keeps going through my mind – “When peace, like a river, attendeth my way, when sorrows like sea billows roll, whatever my lot, thou has taught me to say, It is well, it is well with my soul.” There are 5 more verses to this song. If you want to know all the words, just google “It is Well with My Soul” by Horatio G. Spafford (written in 1873) and there’s quite a story behind his writing of this beloved hymn.

Blessings, peace and hope!

Charlotte