Comfort in Affliction

About a month or so ago I began praying through Philippians 4:6-7 every time I was feeling anxious. Philippians 4:6-7 says,

“Do not be anxious for anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” (New International Version)¹

Last Sunday, I became very thankful that I had put in the practice, because I was faced with an emergency that I likely would not have otherwise been able to handle.

It was Mother’s Day, so my mom and I had spent the afternoon at a local garden fair, and in the  evening we and the rest of our family had ordered takeout to celebrate Mother’s Day. Later that evening though, around 9 pm, I started feeling sick. I knew that I was fatigued from the garden fair, but this was different. I began feeling an intense pain in my middle, and nothing I tried made it better.

It was then that I remembered Philippians 4:6-7, and I told God what I was feeling. I prayed that God would take away my increasing fear, that He would make it clear whether I needed emergency attention, and thanked Him that we live close to medical care. When the pain did not improve and instead got worse, my mom and sister helped me to the car and we went to the hospital. The emergency room was not full, but due to staffing shortages I was not able to be seen for three hours. It was a long wait, hunched over in pain, trying not to audibly groan, and I desperately prayed that God would sustain me and help me persevere until I could receive care. And He did.

Finally they called my name and a nurse wheeled me (in a wheelchair) into a room. After a brief examination, a dose of pain medication, and a thorough ultrasound, the doctor came in and said, “It’s your gallbladder, and it has to go.” (Not an exact quote). My gallbladder was inflamed, had stones, and was developing an infection, and the only solution was to remove it.

Having been to the Emergency Room several times over the past three years for multiple different reasons, it was surprising that it was something that serious. For the first time I was actually being admitted to the general hospital in need of further care. I am so thankful that the Lord led me to go, because it was clearly not something that would go away on its own, and was potentially life-threatening. I spent a full day in hospital pre-surgery, had my surgery the next day, and came home the day after.

Now looking back over the past week, I am amazed at the peace that God gave me through it all. I had never had surgery before, was in an unfamiliar place, and was dependent on the medical staff to help me with pain control, surgery prep, hydration, and nutrition. In the midst of it though, I had a peace in the chaos that I had not experienced before. The anxiety that normally made me sweaty and irritated was replaced by God’s peace and a trust in Him to bring me through. This is how God works; He prepares us little by little to trust Him more, and then He gives us an opportunity to put what we have learned into practice.

Praise God for His faithfulness and wisdom in helping us through each step of faith!

What also helped was prayer and support from my friends and family. My mom helped me with a lot in hospital and slept next to me each night on the couch. My dad and siblings visited as much as possible, bringing needed items or taking other things home. My church family prayed and stayed in touch, and my good friend and mentor came to visit. It was so comforting to know that people cared about me and were praying for me!

I am home now, taking things slow as I recover. It would be nice if things stayed calm for awhile, but the thing is, I am not as afraid as I used to be about something bad happening. I have seen God’s faithfulness in the most intense pain I have experienced thus far, and I know He can bring me through whatever else may come. My hope and prayer is that you, the readers, learn to trust God in the midst of the difficult situations, and that you will take the time to daily talk to Him through prayer and Scripture. You will not regret it!

1. Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® ↩︎