Such a time as this

A few nights ago an "invisible" spider, as my sister calls it, decided to take a chomp into Anna's leg. The bite itself didn't look too bad but some of her skin became extremely red. The doctor prescribed an antibiotic and a pain reliever, and told us to keep an eye on it. It wasn't even a day later and Anna's entire body from the neck down became inflamed and extremely itchy. Dad finally decided to take her in to the emergency room two nights ago. Mom and dad came home at about 12:30 am. to tell us that Anna was staying at the hospital for observation.

The doctor was concerned because her blood test was showing that her kidneys may not be functioning correctly. Spider bites, red skin, itchiness seemed manageable; but the idea of  kidney failure suddenly brought  a much greater level of concern. My mind began to real with all the possibilities of this news, fear gripped all of our hearts, and we began to pray. 

No matter how much you think you are prepared for the worst situation, you will still struggle. 

For a couple weeks God has been working on my heart concerning the thought that " There is a time for everything". Every Bible verse I read, every lesson I teach, and every song I listen to seems to talk about a time for everything. 

Ecclesiastes was the book I was teaching from on Sunday, and guess what lesson I chose? Yep! Ecclesiastes 3 which  discusses the different seasons that we go through in life. We have a time to cry, a time to laugh, a time to labor, and a time to rest... 

Saturday morning, I heard a song. Honestly, I did not like it at first but stopped to listen to the words. After everything I had heard and read during the past couple weeks, this song really hit home with me. I began to wonder... " Is God trying to prepare me for something or to help someone?" 

I prayed for the strength to handle whatever may come. Saturday night came around and we have been in the hospital for the remainder of the weekend. 

Am I saying that this was what God was preparing me for? 

It could be! Nevertheless, I have been able to see that the fear and pain others feel can be understood so much better after you have been through something a little scarier,and  a little more fearful. As I sat here watching Anna sleep and waiting for the doctor to show up to give us a verdict, I began to think about how we can only see the now but God sees the bigger picture. 

Last night the preacher preached on how there is a time to step out by faith and there is a time to stand  still and wait. God's working at us little by little to prepare us for what He wants us to do. 

For a while now I have been at a major cross road in my life. The decisions get pretty scary when I think about all the possibilities. I feel that at this point God wants me to stand still and wait. He is working on something, just like he is working on healing Anna's body. I don't know what that something is or how long it will take, but God will let me know when it is time to step forward in faith. 

Pain is hard, fear is awful, and waiting seems to take forever, BUT there is a reason and we must stand still and let God move at times.