In 2018, Dr. Bizal at Deaconess Ear, Nose, and Throat performed surgery on my right ear because of a cholesteatoma diagnosis. The doctor believed this growth had likely been in my ear since early in my life. In my 40s, it decided to become a major issue. The pain and ongoing battle during the spring and summer of 2018, brought me to this final diagnosis and necessary surgery. I was aware the surgery and recovery would not be easy, yet in hopes of finding resolution for a problem that had bothered me since childhood, I was ready.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The surgery and recovery created significant pain and some sleepless and restless nights. Yet, as I endured the suffering, I found myself leaning more into the reality of God\u2019s presence with me. I cried out to God and discovered God\u2019s willingness to give me peace. I better understood what it meant to trust in the Lord and I found new compassion for people who experienced pain and suffering as part of daily life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As we wrap up this study of Romans 5:3-5, we read, \u201cand hope does not put us to shame, because God\u2019s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us<\/em>\u201d (v. 5). In some translations we read, \u201chope does not disappoint us<\/em>.\u201d Our hope is well-grounded and true. This hope we have is not a false hope, but it is a hope based in our knowledge of God\u2019s love being at work in our lives. We are not people without hope, and we are not people who are using our belief in God as a crutch to try to make it through our lives. We have a foundational hope that brings us through the difficult days because we are confident of God\u2019s work in our lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Holy Spirit is a gift given to us and God\u2019s love is not a love that only makes us feel good. God\u2019s love is our realization of a Holy Father who is with us. My children know when they are hurting, reeling, or struggling that their parents want to help them. They know we love them and want to walk with them at every stage of their lives. Yet, our love, though intense, is not always able to be \u201cright there\u201d with them when the struggle is happening. I have confidence in God\u2019s love that no matter where I am, God is with me. I will not be disappointed or ashamed because I know my God is present with me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When difficulty comes into our lives, the world and naysayers will ask, \u201cWhere is your God? Has your God forgotten you?\u201d It is in those times of life when hurt and pain are intense that it can be easy for us to fail in our faith. Yet, Paul encourages us to realize the suffering, when faced with the confidence that our God is with us, helps us grow and become better people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To summarize this teaching, let me share an illustration from E. Stanley Jones\u2019 book, Christ in Human Suffering<\/em>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhen a storm strikes an eagle, he sets his wings in such a way that the air currents send him above the storm by their very fury. The set of the wings does it. The Christian is not spared the pains and sorrows and sicknesses that come upon other people, but she is given an inner set of the spirit by which she rises above these calamities by the very fury of the calamities themselves\u201d (85).<\/p>\n\n\n\n As you face struggles and problems in life, I pray you will have the confidence to know the love of God is poured into you and that you are not alone. God is with you and as you face each day. You will see new growth as you lean further into God\u2019s presence with you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Prayer: Lord, thank you for pouring your love into me. When the days are difficult, let me live in the confidence of your love and your presence. In Jesus\u2019 name. Amen.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" In 2018, Dr. Bizal at Deaconess Ear, Nose, and Throat performed surgery on my right ear because of a cholesteatoma diagnosis. The doctor believed this growth had likely been in my ear since early in my life. In my 40s,<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":6376,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6665","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t