When Life Doesn’t Go The Way You Expected
by Lynda Scott
Two months ago I wrote a Seed about some challenges I’ve had with my health, but in the midst of those challenges finding peace under the wing of my heavenly Father. The challenge hasn’t gone away as I’d hoped it might.
I saw a specialist in Sydney during June, and as soon as he did an ultrasound of my neck he said I needed to have surgery to remove the whole of my thyroid! It certainly wasn’t what I was expecting. The thyroid is a small, but very important, gland in the body that most people don’t even know about, unless it isn’t working properly.
Having surgery to my neck makes me feel vulnerable. So many blood vessels and nerves travel through the area, such as the laryngeal nerve which affects the vocal chords. One wrong cut and I could have permanent vocal damage. But my thyroid is significantly enlarged, pressing into my throat and making swallowing food increasingly difficult. There is also concern about the nodules in my thyroid. The surgery is scheduled for Tuesday 4th August, and I’m glad to say one of the best thyroid surgeons in Australia is performing the surgery.
I’ve gone through the past weeks waiting and wondering, trying not to ask myself too many “what if?” questions. The question I’ve asked myself and God the most is “will I be okay?” I won’t really know the answer to my question until after the surgery.
There are times in life where things don’t seem to go the way you expected. And in the midst of it you can’t see what God’s doing. However, last week I was encouraged with a text message from a lovely friend with the following words that spoke right into my spirit. She said “He has you in His hands and you can trust Him and rest in Him. May you somehow see good come from all of this.”
It made me think back to all the challenges I’ve been through over the years. It reminded me of my book ‘Lynda’, where my challenge of faith to the readers was to trust Jesus no matter what difficult circumstances they would face. The words cut me to the quick.
In the face of deeply challenging circumstances, in all honesty, trusting Jesus doesn’t get any easier, even for me. I feel myself once again coming to the foot of the cross and laying down my life and my future before Him. I go forward though, with a confidence in Jesus, because I can see how He’s been faithful in every other deeply challenging circumstance of my life.
I also have an unshakeable understanding that without the cross there’s no resurrection. It’s when I’m in that place of complete surrender that God can do a miracle in my life. What my friend said is true – I’m in His hands, I can trust Him and I can rest in Him. The day will surely come where I’ll see good come from all of this. May it be so with you, too. No matter what you’re facing today, the Lord is with you.
Prayer: Dear Jesus, Thank You that I’m in Your hands, I can trust You and I can rest in You. In the midst of the challenges I face this very day I surrender my life and future into Your hands. I look forward to seeing You bring good out of what I’m facing. For Your glory, 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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