As I’m writing this, I’m sitting here waiting for baby girl to come out of surgery. I can’t help but think about the coincidence that one of her most major surgeries to date is taking place on Good Friday. The day our Lord willingly took up his cross to fulfill his purpose and save humanity.
There’s no denying that we’ve beared many crosses these past 3 years. Thinking this would be the thing to help her finally thrive only to be thrown another major setback. It’s been a rollercoaster ride to say the least.
Talking about rollercoaster rides, how do you think Jesus must have felt during the week leading up to his death? At the beginning of the week he’s being treated like a king, welcomed with open arms into Jerusalem. By the end, tortured, ridiculed, and nailed to a cross.
In Matthew 17:5 as Jesus is making his way toward Jerusalem, God pronounces “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” Equipped with that love, Jesus was able to rebuke Satan’s offer to refuse the cross. Jesus could endure trials and refuse temptations because he won the battle of belief. He knew he was a loved Son.
What a beautiful reminder on this day. While facing yet another trial, I know that I’m a loved daughter. This brings me so much hope that I can take on whatever comes my way.
Have I always believed this? Absolutely not. Life is really hard. It’s hard to see how much God loves you when you‘re dealing with so much heartache. If you would have told me this a year ago I would have rolled my eyes. I had a lot of anger towards God at this time. I was in a really dark place but I felt this incredible emptiness inside of me. I knew I was missing something.
Thanks to my incredible tribe I’ve been able to slowly pull myself out of this dark place. I’m grateful everyday for this. As we move forward with continued trials during the recovery phase I will remember Matthew 17:5.