When I discovered my medical diagnosis, I couldn’t help but notice an uncanniness and specificity about it.
Due to the compression of a nerve bundle in my spine in my neck, I gradually lost sensation and strength with growing pains in my right hand, arm, shoulder and neck muscles— the very muscles I need to do what I love most- write, type, cook and exercise.
Looking at a screen, checking my phone, going on social media, typing an email, cooking, or sitting down became excruciatingly painful activities.
Lifting weights was out of the question.
“God,” I said, “You’ve got to be kidding. What are You doing?”
It was the uncanniness and specificity of my limitations that caught my attention, and reminded me of the story of Abraham and Isaac.
I felt God ask me, “Am I more precious than any of these things you lose?”
Then I felt Him ask, “Am I more precious that any of these things you gain?”
I realized, that many of the “idols” in our lives were never bad things to begin with. Rather, they are good things we hold onto more and more tightly until we’re enslaved to them. We let our achievements, and hobbies define us.
So when the unexpected happens, when we are tested, are we merely thrown into sorrow which is normal, or utter despair because we’ve built our entire life on a joy that can never complete us?
If you’re going through a season of loss, I hope this blesses you. It may be an agonizing walk of surrender up the mountain, but it’ll worthwhile in the end.