When It's My Turn

        I would say that I have lived a pretty easy life. My parents were saved the year I was born so I never had to deal with abusive family members or alcholic parents. I never had to have a major surgery or ever really had a major sickness at all. I have no allergies and I am a very healthy person. My children are all very healthy and I am blessed to say we have had very minor reasons to go to the ER, and even then, God was faithful and made those small situations better very quickly. Nothing turned out to be an extreme problem and nobody ended up having any surgeries. Now, I am not saying that I have not experienced death or hardships in my life. My grandfather died from diabetes and pneumonia just a few months before I was married. My great grandmother passed away in 1985 and my mom's mother died a few years ago. My sister suffered a broken neck, almost becoming paralyzed, but God was merciful and she is walking today. Back in 2002 I had a miscarriage when I was six weeks along, but in all my 37 years, I must say that I have been blessed with a very easy lifetime. I have watched people that I know struggle with one hardship after another, and it never seemed to let up for them. I have wondered why they never got a break. I have seen sickness and death all around me, creeping closer and closer to the ones I love dearly. I know nobody is immune. We all live in a fallen word, full of sin, disease, and evil lurking around every corner. Because Adam and Eve sinned in the garden, it began a process in our bodies that makes them deterioate and break down, becoming the very dirt that we were created out of in the first place. I often hear people asking the question, "Why?" Why did my mother have to get cancer? Why did I lose my baby? Why did my husband leave our family? I may not be able to answer those questions, because only God knows just why He allowed it to happen. Look at Job in the Bible, how he suffered through the loss of all his wealth, the death of his children, his health, possibly even his home, and the love of his wife for a time. He never found out the reason why all that happened to him. We know, because we get to read the story and see what happened in the heavenly realm, but Job did not have the Book of Job available at the time. Yet, he accepted it and bowed down to the Lord and said, "The Lord gives and the Lord taketh away. Blessed be the name of the Lord." I understand life happens and things come with it that are extremely hard to take. If we are not going through a trial right now, I am sure it will come. I know it will be my turn sometime, maybe sooner than I think. I may not understand it and it may blow my mind and wipe me out mentally and physically, but God is not going to give me more than I can bear. That is His promise. I know He will give me the grace and mercy I need during the struggles that come my way. Maybe I will ask the question, "Why?" Maybe He will answer by gently holding me in His arms and tell me, "Because, my child, it was your turn." When that trial comes, I want to be able to be like Joseph was in his struggles. He was an amazing example of how we should be when life does not go as we planned. May God grant me the grace and strength to deal with what lies ahead.