“Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that He may lift you up in due time.” 1 Peter 5:6

Times of Humbling

A family member told me about a man who has studied pandemics throughout history. He said that the common denominator of all of them is a “humbling.” Man realizes that he is no match for nature, and the mighty are suddenly at the mercy of something out of their control. How very true. We often think we have things “in control.” Life is good. Everything is going smoothly. And then something like a pandemic comes along to turn the whole world upside down!

We have experienced this type of “humbling” in our lives in recent years. This week marks six years since I was first diagnosed with ovarian cancer. I remember the day Floyd and I sat in the doctor’s office and received the news. It was so unexpected. She gave us a rather grim prognosis. We were in a bit of shock. We went to the car where we sat and cried together—then we prayed together. We told the Lord, as we have through all our lives together, that we were in His hands. We were definitely “humbled”—not in control. And the journey began!

It’s been a journey of six surgeries, four times of doing chemotherapy, and a number of other treatments and therapies. It’s been hard. It’s been a battle. But I’m alive! My doctor says it’s a miracle—not a term she normally uses. She said that most of her patients are gone in two years. She reminded me that even though I struggle with some of the effects of the cancer, I’m alive! She’s pretty surprised about that. I join her in saying it’s a miracle—one that I’m very grateful for.

It was a short 20 months later when Floyd was struck down. He went from being active, healthy, and feeling perfectly fine, to being immobile and silent in just a few days. A huge “humbling.” A massive impact for me and our family in feeling that life was very much not in our control. The BIG unexpected journey began.

The doctors gave him six months to live. Then 12 months. Then 18 months…then they said they had no idea what his prognosis would be. They are amazed that he’s alive. No one has been in control—another humbling.

We are keenly, daily aware that it is God who is in control…even when things feel out of control. Circumstances change all the time, but God is unchanging. He is our solid rock, our anchor. He is aware of everything we are facing. We are not abandoned in the midst of the storms that hit us. He is with us—nothing can separate us from Him.

I have no idea how our story ends…well, I do. Someday we’ll be in heaven with Him! But I don’t know when that will be. What I DO know, is that He is with us each and every day until that happens. Whatever we face, whatever is “thrown” at us, we are not alone!

Father, we pray that our intimacy with You grows in our adversities. You are in control of our lives. Amen.