Quarantine. Riots. Mandated social distancing. It’s been six months!
Lord, make this end! Today, please! I can’t do this anymore!
Not the first time in my life I prayed these sentences. Twelve years ago, I uttered the same prayer.
I was a cancer patient. After four months of hard chemotherapy, I had four treatments left. Radiation treatment, a year of IV Herceptin therapy and two more surgeries to go.
I was so done with cancer treatment! I was sick and tired of being sick and tired.
I wanted to do what I wanted, and not think about germs. I wanted to not need to remind my daughters to wash their hands immediately upon returning home.
God, let this be over, please!
He didn’t answer with immediate healing or instant immune system restoration.
But He did answer.
And, He did carry me through the rest of treatment.
Here are three truths I learned after my frustrated, desperate plea.
1. I couldn’t stare at the calendar, overwhelmed by the number of days and weeks.
I had to learn to take it one day at a time, trusting Him to provide for each need as it appeared. And He did. Every. Single. Time.
2. In my chemo-fog brain, I often felt forgotten and lost.
He is the God who sees. God saw me. He saw me. Not the bald cancer patient trying desperately to recall what days my kindergartner attended school- He saw His child He loved, struggling. He stepped in, helped, and carried me each and every day. He guided me as His daughter, growing me into the woman He had authored and He encouraged me throughout the journey.
3. Although my cancer journey was solely my challenging path to travel, I was never alone.
God gave me three cheerleaders to pray for me, ensuring I would complete this journey victorious. Jesus interceded for me (Hebrews 7:25). The Holy Spirit was praying for me (Romans 8:26), and God the Father himself promised He was with me, strengthening me, and holding me in His hand. (Isaiah 41:10).
I learned to trust God through this experience, although many, many times I honestly wanted to derail and stop going altogether.
But I didn’t have a choice to stop being a cancer patient. The disease was there.
So I made the choice to trust God. And it made all the difference.
This pandemic is also a journey I would much rather quit. Maybe you agree. But we don’t get that choice, do we? The entire world is still dealing with COVID-19.
But we do get to choose how we deal with it. We get to choose if today we will hold God to His promises.
He won’t fail us.
He will keep His word. He is forever faithful.
He will strengthen us to deal with each day as it comes, equipping us with what is needed for each moment. (Philippians 4:13)
He is truly the God who sees. He will not turn a blind eye to our plight. He won’t allow this to last any longer than absolutely necessary to complete the work He began in us.
We are never alone. Even in quarantine, He is with us. God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit are all cheering us on as we navigate such a time as this. We can truly rely on the God squad!
Every time I want to scream, “I can’t do this anymore! Lord, make it end!” I recall what He’s taught me: He has me. He’ll strengthen me do to even this. He sees me. He’s carrying me and He’s cheering me on!
And although I’m sick and tired of COVID-19, I know He will get me through even this. I need to take it one day at a time, trust He sees and will act on what’s happening and allow myself to see and acknowledge the encouragement He provides as He carries me!
I need to trust Him and hold Him to His promises.
Prayer: Thank You Lord, that You see, You care, and You provide. Please help me trust You. Help me to refuse to give up as You promise You will complete the good work You began. In Jesus’ name, Amen.