Surrender, Trust, Receive

8:12 AM. The bus was a minute late. Ashton and I finished up our prayer and were about to get out of the car and go to the bus stop just steps away at the corner. Suddenly, I noticed a grey SUV approach and then jump the curb as it made it’s way toward a tree. My neighbor Kathy ran over to the vehicle and I ran too. “She’s slumped over the wheel. . .She lost consciousness." I felt the adrenaline kick in and it seemed like we were living out an episode of Chicago Fire. “Kathy, should I call 9-1-1?” She knocked on the window and tried to open the door as I started dialing. God, please give me the grace to handle this. I don’t do well with medical emergencies.

The bus pulled up a moment later as I talked with the dispatcher and said good-bye to Ashton at the same time. Thank God the bus was late . . .she could have hit the bus or even the kids. I answered the dispatcher’s questions and then went over to help the woman. She was awake now and disoriented. Kathy dialed her husband while I consoled her and prayed over her. Her name was Liz and she was on her way to work at Centegra Hospital when she felt dizzy and pulled over. She lost consciousness and then literally rolled diagonally across the street and into our bus stop. I tried to comfort her as the paramedics and fire department arrived. Hmm, sometimes you think you are going to work to help others and you end up being taken to the hospital yourself.

Isn’t life like that sometimes? We want to be the one on the giving end of things and we find ourselves on the receiving end. I felt that way when Ashton was diagnosed with Noonan Syndrome last year. One of the first moms I spoke with whose son had a growth hormone disorder told me to reach out to the Magic Foundation. Ironically, I was already familiar with the Magic Foundation. In fact, I had worked at their conference each July for almost 10 years for Novo Nordisk. I was a booth facilitator and helped the children and their families that came from across the U.S. and Canada. All of these children had some type of growth hormone disorder. In seemingly one moment of time, I went from the one helping these families to the one receiving help alongside of them as I went to the conference in 2017 with Ashton.

Life is full of twists and turns and you never know what the future may hold. . . but thankfully we know who holds our future. We can trust that He will keep us on His perfect path and get us to our destination. During this season, I keep hearing His still small voice, encouraging me. Surrender. Trust. Receive. I pray that you are encouraged to continue to trust Him wherever you are at and wherever your path may lead.

Isaiah 43:18-19 But forget all that - it is nothing compared to what I am going to do. For I am about to do a brand new thing. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness for my people to come home. I will create rivers for them in the desert!