I’ve been so fortunate to have my faith to rely upon when things have been difficult. There was a time, when David was in the Burn Unit, when I felt like I was losing everything. I felt like I was losing the love of my life as he laid in that hospital bed. I felt like I had lost my children and my role of being a mom because I was 2 ½ hours away from them and they were being cared for by other people. I gave up my job as youth director at our church because I couldn’t be in two places at once and I needed to focus on my husband. I was living in a new city, spending my days in a hospital and I felt like I had lost my sense of security and safety.
The one thing that I did have was my faith. I heard someone say that you can’t really know what faith is until that’s all you seem to have left to hold on to. When David was fighting for his life, I would leave the family waiting room and curl up on the hospital hallway tiled floor with my Bible and I would find comfort in the words that would somehow act as a healing balm on my heart. These are a few of my favorite verses- ones that I would go to over and over again.
1. James 1:2-4
Sometimes it’s just downright difficult to be joyful, but David and I feel strongly that when we trust God, He will help us find moments and opportunities of joy. Joy is scattered all around us, we just need to choose to see it. This scripture has been a favorite of ours because it reminds us of how God is using the trials we face. We grow when we go through hard times. When we can’t rely on anything else, other than our faith, we grow closer to God.
2. Philippians 4:6-7
This is another scripture that I would read to David regularly when he was in the hospital. I am a worrier, by design. I have to constantly be reminded to not worry and that God is in control of my life and all the details. This scripture also helps me remember to take my requests to God in a way that honors Him. And that God’s ways are much bigger than my mind can understand. That’s tough when we want all the answers as to why certain things happen.
3. Philippians 4:8-9
I would read this scripture over and over again while David was in the hospital. I would read it out loud to him before surgery as well. It’s far too easy to get caught up in the craziness of the ups and downs of a traumatic event but it’s important to focus on the things that are good and worthy of our praise. It’s easy to focus on all the things that aren’t going the way we planned, but we need to remember to think about God’s truths and that His peace will be with us regardless of what we face.
4. Philippians 4:13
We were separated from our children for the four months that David was in the Burn Unit, with the exception of some short visits on the weekends. Our daughter, Samantha just turned 9 years old. I taught this verse to Samantha to try to help her cling to truth and to find strength in God while we were apart. I used the 10 finger method to teach her. For each word in the verse, I had her hold up one of her fingers when she said it. It’s still one of our favorite scriptures.
5. 1st Thessalonians 5:17-18
This is one of my personal favorites. It reminds me to always be in prayer and to always find a reason to be thankful. That’s not easy when life seems to be spinning out of control but it is necessary. I remember when David first arrived at the Burn Unit, he was heavily sedated, hooked up to all sorts of machines. One day, in particular, I asked him to blink if he could hear me. He responded by blinking. Another time, I asked him to wiggle his toes if he could hear me. He responded by moving his toes ever so slightly. In a situation that could have completely devastated me, I was able to focus on the very small fact that David could still respond to me in these small ways. That was a gift and I was very grateful.
6. 1st Corinthians 13:4-7
This scripture was read at our wedding on July 2, 1994. Several years ago someone told me to take out the word ‘love’ when I read these verses and instead to insert my own name. For example, “Carly” is patient and kind. “Carly” is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. “Carly” does not demand her own way… This exercise is to help me see how I’m doing in my own faith journey. It’s sometimes a painful exercise because I’m not doing a very good job of being kind or patient, mostly because I’m getting caught up in the craziness of life. On the flip side, try inserting “God” instead. It’s amazing that He never gives up and how patient He is with me over and over again.
If you are walking through trial right now, I hope this list of verses is helpful to you. God’s word is true, and it is such a blessing to cling to it when life feels out of control.
What are your favorite verses?
Leave a Reply