I had a two-year-old little girl in my office who stole my heart. She had curly blond hair and smiled from ear to ear even though she was having trouble breathing.
As I listened to her with my stethoscope, she looked up at me with that sweet face, struggling for each breath.
I have never experienced difficulty breathing, but I have seen many who have. I can’t imagine it—being unable to get enough air into or out of my lungs. It is frightening for an adult, let alone a little girl.
We quickly got a breathing treatment started along with some steroids, but she continued to worsen. That happens sometimes when the airway shuts down rapidly—the medication can’t get far enough into the lungs.
I stayed with her and comforted her as much as I could while we fought to help her breathe. The medication finally got to the smallest bronchial tubes and she began to breathe freely again. She immediately fell asleep—she was so exhausted from the fight for air.
I didn’t want to leave her room; she was so content—finally. I thought about how she trusted me, even though she didn’t know me—even though she’s just a little girl. I stuck her with needles, drew blood, stood her up against a big machine for x-rays, and made her breathe through a mask shaped like a fish (it’s a little creepy, actually). But the entire time she knew that I was there to help her breathe again, and that’s all she needed to know.
Do I trust God that way? Do I settle down in his arms and say, “I trust you to do whatever you need to do, even if it hurts, even if I don’t understand it, even if it costs me my life?”
So often we question situations that are troublesome or that will cause pain. We ask God why, even though He doesn’t owe us an explanation. When trials come, perhaps we feel that we have made a mistake or done something wrong to cause it. But it may simply be God’s timing as He is teaching us.
Whatever the reason, being a Christ follower is not a stroll in the park—it requires work, diligence and sacrifice. If you never experience trials or pain, you’re probably doing something wrong.
I want to be trusting as a little child—believing that whatever is being done for me has great purpose. If a little girl can feel that way about me, I should be ashamed to not feel that way about God.
Question: What is your biggest struggle in your life or your faith? Can you share it below?