“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own insight. In all your ways, acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths.”
~ Proverbs 3:5-6
It's intrinsic to rely on God throughout periods of tranquility, as you’re often more inclined to perceive all of the blessings and express prayers of gratitude while going about the mundane particularities of life. Yet, how can we cultivate and expand our faith throughout the most perilous obstacles we encounter? By what means can an individual reinforce their relationship with God, regardless of agonizing or life-altering experiences?
Following my husband’s critical injuries while on a second deployment abroad, my in-laws and I prepared to travel overseas for what we speculated to be our final farewells. However, directly after our initial reunion, we were informed that Jed became miraculously stable enough for not only the protracted return stateside but a tangible chance at survival!
Fortifying My Faith in Moments of Solitude
Still, some of the most devastating days had yet to transpire, moments permeated with untold uncertainty and despair. With constant complications and perilous operations, Jed’s rehabilitation often regressed several steps backwards with no strides forward. Amid all of the treatments, you could find me riding the elevator to the top floor of the high rise and settling in my favorite place: a charming wooden bench situated atop a tranquil rooftop oasis.
I craved isolation then, to devote to private conversations with God. Sitting in solitude with only a journal in hand, pages after pages of prayers materialized. Each burst with the outpourings of my soul, describing my emotions and the heaviness crushing my heart. I pleaded to the Lord for fortitude and healing, though predominantly the tenacity for my husband to perservere in spite of all the pain. As a repercussion from all the trauma sustained, I dreaded the inevitable deterioration Jed’s then frail frame was relentlessly striving to withstand. From daybreak till dusk, in spite of panics ever present and overpowering hold, the unequivocally challenging task to resolve to cling to faith in Jesus assisted in defeating dread.
I also realized that we were up against something of much greater significance than purely just our reactions and predicament then. Satan was threatened by the potential for the adversity to strengthen our relationship with God and fought vehemently to destroy what He was producing through the crisis. As my perception of those supernatural certainties developed, so also did my capacity to perceive our circumstances from a much higher perspective.
Finding a Greater Purpose
God guides us through specific sorrows in order that we might be enabled to identify with others on a more profound level. He produces a new appreciation and empathy within us that cultivates an extraordinary depth of insight into someone else's reality from the shared similarities. Adversity is not a curse. Rather, it's one of life's greatest, though paradoxical, blessings.
It is inevitable that we will weather hardships in our lives. The challenge is whether we will run towards or away from our Heavenly Father on account of it. I’d love for you to answer and consider the following questions in the comments below, if you’ve arrived at a similar point in your own journey:
When was a time when your faith was tested, and how did you grow from it?
What practices do you incorporate to nourish and fortify your relationship with God?
Continuing to Cultivate Faith
In closing, I am so honored to announce that our story was featured in the I Am Her campaign by Homefront Heroes Ministries, led by military spouse and author Valerie McNulty. Valerie has highlighted portions of an article I composed entitled “Trials Bring a Military Wife Closer to God” for Operation Heal Our Patriots, a military-focused extension of the Samaritan’s Purse organization.Given the relevance to this quarter's topic and column, I would be delighted if you took a peek at the campaign!
Here’s the link: The Morgan’s Story | Instagram
Finally, I’d like to make a request to those of you who know us personally. Would you consider contributing a 300-word or more excerpt that I can place into my upcoming memoir, Valley of the Shadow? If this opportunity interests you, please reach out to me directly to learn more.
As always, thanks so much for the encouragement and prayers.
Love & hugs!
~ Anna Morgan
Portions of this post are excerpts from my upcoming memoir, Valley of the Shadow. If you’d like to receive a free copy in exchange for a promotional review, check out this link: Launch Team | Anna Morgan - Author
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