Baby Steps ~

Missing worship with my church family, I felt a slight nudge in my heart as I reflected, “Ah yes, another season requiring baby steps!  Lord help me hold fast to Your Strength in my weakness, that I may see Your leading every step of the way!”  The older I get, the more challenging seasons seem always to require “baby steps” to navigate whatever I face.

The journey I am presently on began about a month ago when doctors found an “extremely rare pulmonary sequestration” that ultimately would require the removal of the lower lobe of my left lung.   Catching me totally off guard, I ran to the Internet to glean whatever information I could find.  It was then that I understood what my doctor meant when he described my condition as, “extremely rare.”   I was blessed to be put under the care of an excellent local thoracic surgeon and nine days ago the surgery was successfully performed.

What do you do when you receive bad or disappointing news?  Where do you go when fear fills your heart and mind with terrors that seem to prevail over all that is right and good?   I must confess that when I received my doctor’s call I wanted to run away.   Instead, we prayed . . . and ran more tests!   The next test confirmed the diagnosis and expanded knowledge of the dangers of my particular situation.  Again, part of me wanted to flee . . . but WHERE?  I remembered Psalm 34:

I remembered lessons learned in the past and sought God’s wisdom and strength as we moved forward . . . baby steps with each appointment.  The day I entered the hospital, more baby steps as He provided the courage I lacked.   I held fast to Him as I gave thanks for His faithful provision.  It had become a sort of rhythm . . . baby steps with thanksgiving, baby steps.   There were extremely difficult moments, frightening times where doubt briefly loomed but He prevailed and I (home again) remain humbly grateful.

Wherever you are . . . no matter what you face . . . He is worthy of our trust . . . ALWAYS ~