Held Secure: His Love in Times of Trial

My mind and my heart - so tender and fragile, all consumed this week with a dear daughter, and with her sweet daughter. The rest of life is blurred and unimportant, and it is difficult to concentrate on my daily tasks. For life brings us unexpected things; things we never even imagined that we would experience. And we shake our heads, and wipe our tears - wondering what in the world is going on.

Our worlds can be turned upside down in a moment. And life as we knew it, is forever changed. My heart is still freshly fragile with the news that we received this week. Our sweet 14 year-old granddaughter, Crystal, has been diagnosed with a rare genetic kidney disease that results in kidney failure during the teen years. It is not reversible, or treatable with medication. The only treatment is a kidney transplant. Which will most likely take place in about a year for our sweet Crystal. We will live in expectation of this for a year, and Crystal will be watched and checked closely for just the right time for a transplant.

Memories are flooding my mind and heart this week - memories of other unexpected things. A leukemia diagnosis for one of our daughters during her teen years. And a bone marrow transplant a year later after a relapse of her leukemia. And memories of the horrible accident my husband was in eleven years ago that almost took his life. Of the heart-breaking years of broken relationship with a daughter. Of infertility, of appendicitis attack, of miscarriage. Of more current trials family members are going through. Of a brother suffering with Parkinsons, and a sister-in-law (his wife) experiencing complications going through chemo for her cancer. And of recent news of a friend whose cancer is back, this time in stage IV.

Broken hearts. Broken relationships, and broken dreams. These things can break us, and turn us inside out with anger and despair. And I have been there. My world has been shattered many times. And now we venture out on another journey of walking with those we deeply love, through the hard trial of a kidney failure diagnosis.

There is no room for easy answers to these trials. And many go through much more heart-breaking trials than we can even imagine. There is no way around them, for life is full of trials. And there is no easy way through them.

But I have found that there is one thing that we can always count on. That we will be held secure. That the One who gave His very life for us, is always with us. And His Love is strongest when we are most in need. Our self-sufficiency is gone, our strength is gone, and we are found empty, in desperate need. And in our need, we are held, and we are secure. And we will never be the same.

Held Secure: His Love in Times of Trial

As we walk through this trial with our granddaughter and her family, I will be following God's promptings to share from a heart filled with thanks for His Love and Presence in hard times. From the memories of the past, and from the present. Seeking to learn more and to experience more of His unending, relentless Love. And praying the same for all who read these words ...

My posts in this series will be scattered throughout the days of the week, interspersed with posts on the other topics that I write about - listening and following God's promptings to share, from His Words, and from our journey. And I would love to be praying for you as you journey through trials and hard times - feel free to contact me through email, or through a comment left here ...

Linking up with:
Faith Barista Jam
Thought Provoking Thursday
Faith Filled Friday
Fellowship Friday
Sunday Stillness