Facing Shock in Everyday Life
by Lynda Scott
There are times in life where we are jolted with a shock. I don’t mean the kind of shock where you have a sudden fright when someone jumps out from behind a door. I mean the kind of shock where something in your life is suddenly changed and it has a life-altering impact on you and your family. I have, over the years, personally encountered shock like this on many occasions, such as when I fell off a cliff, and when our daughter Jasmyn died at sixteen weeks of age with Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.
Maybe there’s a medical diagnosis of cancer or some other life-threatening disease, a child diagnosed with a life-altering disorder, a parent having a stroke, or a loved one in a motor vehicle accident. The range of things that cause this kind of shock are endless, but it’s as if your life takes a wobble. What happened was not what you expected, and you need to grapple with the change and face the prospects of how this life-altering event or diagnosis will change your life. You can feel so alone, and fear can paralyse you.
As followers of Jesus such times of shock bring us to Him in a whole new way. When all is going well in life, we say that Jesus is our Rock, the foundation of our lives. But it’s only when that’s tested that we see if He really is. The hardest thing I’ve found is that when we’re in that time of shock and we come to Jesus in prayer, desperately needing comfort and reassurance, He’s often quiet. But let me tell you, just because you can’t hear Him doesn’t mean that He’s not with you, and that He doesn’t care. Don’t give up on Jesus just because you can’t hear His voice for a time.
So how do we come through shock and unexpected changes? Keep trusting Jesus. Keep praying. Keep walking forward in faith. Let your roots go down deeper into Him. No one ever said you wanted things to happen like this. But do you know that as you keep trusting Jesus, keep praying and keep walking forward in faith, you’ll give glory to Jesus, and ultimately that’s the most important thing of all.
For those of you who are in a place of shock right now, I pass on my encouragement to you. I want to share the word that Jesus spoke into my heart for you – The Lord says to each one of us “I am with you!”
Prayer: Dear Jesus, You’ve seen the depths of the struggle I’ve had as I’ve faced the shock of this situation. Jesus, I need Your encouragement, and for You to bring clarity about the future. Thank You that You’re with me and that You do care. Help me to walk forward in faith and give You the glory. I put my trust in You. Amen.
Lynda Scott was first introduced to Ellel Ministries at a conference led by Peter and Fiona Horrobin in 1996 when she was miraculously healed following a devastating accident. Lynda has continued her association with Ellel Ministries over the years and has recently written her story “Lynda: From Accident & Trauma to Healing & Wholeness.” She lives in Australia with her husband Leigh and 3 children, who are all at school. She works in a local health clinic, as well as helping her husband with the administration of their beef cattle farm.
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