Surviving the Bumps in the Road
Bumps in the road are commonplace. It’s what we do with them that is important. Listen to Carol talk about a bump in the road that she experienced.
Surviving the Bumps in the Road
Sometimes the bumps in the road, the tough times of our lives feel like a huge weight we drag behind us. We struggle to see the positives and wonder if we will ever get out of the difficulty.
I have experienced a number of huge bumps. I wondered if the puzzle pieces of my life really could fit together to form a beautiful picture. I realize I am not alone in this feeling.
Everyone experiences these situations at various times in their lives. These bumps take on many forms. They might be financial problems, health issues, relationship problems or a combination of things.
Maybe we are waiting to know where God is leading us next and the season of waiting has become increasingly difficult. I don’t know where you are on your journey but I do know that you and I are not alone.
A Sick Child
Let me share a story of one of those tough moments in my life. My husband and I taught school in the isolated, fly in, Northern Saskatchewan community of Wollaston Lake. We had come south for the Christmas holidays with our almost one year old daughter and started the vacation at my parent’s place.
We then drove to my husband’s parent’s farm to spend the rest of our time of. My mother-in-law offered to babysit so Brian and I could celebrate New Year’s Eve with some of his friends, even though our little one appeared to be getting her first cold.
We both looked forward to this date but as the afternooneased its way into the evening, our daughter , Lori, started coughing more. I comforted her the best I knew how as a young mom and hoped her symptoms did not get any worse. She fell asleep and I put her to bed, but her breathing just did not seem right. We checked on her a number of times during the course of the evening.
She continued to stay asleep but her breathing got worse. Finally, Brian came back from checking on her and on the advice of his mother, we decided we needed to cancel our plans and take her to the nearest hospital, thirty miles away.
New Year
We rang in the New Year in the sterile confines of the hospital, watching the doctor admit our baby to the children’s ward. His diagnosis was croup. I had never even heard of this but I learned quickly that the safest place for my little one was in the oxygen tent with medical staff close by to help. Hospital regulations, at that time, prohibited parents from staying and with a heavy heart we left the hospital. I cried when I left with empty arms.
The next day we returned to find our daughter so much better. I hoped the doctor would let us take her home to her grandparent’s place but he refused, unconvinced the worst had passed. Lorihated to stay in the hospital. She cried as we left.
I hated to watch her stand at the edge of her crib with tears running down her face. I hated to leave her there but felt I had no choice. I cried some more and prayed, asking God to heal her. I begged to take herhome. The answer seemed to be, “Wait!”
Released
When we returned for visiting hours the next day, Lori had improved even more. She hardly coughed She played with toys and smiled as she sat on my knee. But once again the doctor refused to sign her release so we could take her home with us. My confusion led to frustration. She looked and sounded better, so why keep her in the hospital? The medical report from the night before left me stunned.
The nurses had to call the doctor in the middle of the night as my baby’s condition deteriorated. He came and also ran out of options. The nurse told us that his words were, “I sure hope she has praying parents. There’s nothing I can do. It’s too risky to transfer her to a larger hospital.”
I hugged Lori close and thanked God for sparing her life. After another couple of days in the hospital, the doctor decided she was stable enough to transfer to the large hospital in Saskatoon for another opinion and to be monitored to make sure the croup had run its course.
The day before her first birthday and only a couple days before we were scheduled to fly home to Wollaston, the doctor discharged our baby from the hospital. We celebrated her first birthday at my Grandmother’s home in Saskatoon before flying to our own home in the far north of our province. I look back at the pictures of her birthday celebration and see the drawn face of my little one and realize that God provided a miracle which kept her in our lives.
What’s Your “Bump in the Road” Story
We each have a story. We all have puzzle pieces, tough pieces in our livesthat we do not want or know how we will survive. Often it is not until we look back and see how God has worked, protected, and provided that we begin to have a flicker of hope and a better understanding that only God can provide the best answer.
Have you survived some major bumps in the road of your life? What story or stories do you have about how God has worked to put the tough pieces together to form part of the picture of your life? Then remember that God never changes and continues to work in the lives of those who choose to invite Him in.
Have you experienced some bumps along the road? We would love to hear from you. Share your comment below or contact us at HopeStreamRadio.
Carol Harrison
Listen to Carol’s program Puzzle Pieces Of Life or visit Carol’s website carolscorner.ca
Carol Harrison B.Ed is a speaker and published author with one book, Amee’s Story and stories in twelve anthologies. She is passionate about helping people of all ages and ability levels find their voice and reach their fullest potential.
She knows, through personal experience that some of life’s experiences are tougher than others. She encourages people that even in the twists and turns of life God’s amazing grace provides hope.
Carol lives in Saskatoon, SK with her husband Brian. They have four adult children and a dozen grandchildren.
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More Posts:
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Image Credits:
Bumps in the Road – Kristologe
Broke – 1020796
Sick baby – Free-photos
New Year fireworks – Nickgesell
Hospital Door – RyanMcGuire
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