THE JOYFUL LIFE
  • Home
  • Shop
  • Blog
    • HEART
      • Faith
      • Bible Study & Theology
      • Marriage
      • Motherhood
        • Motherhood (ALL)
        • Parenting Toddlers to Tweens
        • Parenting Teens
        • Parenting Adult Children
        • Raising Boys
        • Raising Girls
      • Divorce | Single Motherhood | Blended Families
      • Adoption & Foster Care
      • Infertility & Miscarriage
      • Friendship & Community
    • HOME
      • DIY Projects
      • Family & Home Management
      • Fun for Kids
      • Homemaking
      • Homeschool
      • Hospitality
      • Recipes
    • LIFE ISSUES
      • Anxiety
      • Difficult Family Dynamics
      • Emotions
      • Health
      • Identity & Purpose
      • Loss | Suffering | Grief
      • Work & Life Balance
    • REVIEWS
      • App Reviews
      • Book Reviews
      • Product Reviews
    • FEATURED INTERVIEWS
    • SEASONAL & HOLIDAY
  • Daily Devotions
  • About
    • Meet the Team
      • Management & Staff
      • Editorial Team
      • Blog Contributors
      • Devotion Writers
      • Photographers
    • Statement of Faith
  • Work with Us
    • Write for Us
    • Advertise
    • Employment
  • Contact
  • account
The Joyful Life News
Sign up to receive Joyful Life Community news, weekly blog post updates, shop announcements, and more.
A QUARTERLY COLLECTIBLE | Heart & Home Inspiration
THE JOYFUL LIFE
  • Home
  • Shop
  • Blog
    • HEART
      • Faith
      • Bible Study & Theology
      • Marriage
      • Motherhood
        • Motherhood (ALL)
        • Parenting Toddlers to Tweens
        • Parenting Teens
        • Parenting Adult Children
        • Raising Boys
        • Raising Girls
      • Divorce | Single Motherhood | Blended Families
      • Adoption & Foster Care
      • Infertility & Miscarriage
      • Friendship & Community
    • HOME
      • DIY Projects
      • Family & Home Management
      • Fun for Kids
      • Homemaking
      • Homeschool
      • Hospitality
      • Recipes
    • LIFE ISSUES
      • Anxiety
      • Difficult Family Dynamics
      • Emotions
      • Health
      • Identity & Purpose
      • Loss | Suffering | Grief
      • Work & Life Balance
    • REVIEWS
      • App Reviews
      • Book Reviews
      • Product Reviews
    • FEATURED INTERVIEWS
    • SEASONAL & HOLIDAY
  • Daily Devotions
  • About
    • Meet the Team
      • Management & Staff
      • Editorial Team
      • Blog Contributors
      • Devotion Writers
      • Photographers
    • Statement of Faith
  • Work with Us
    • Write for Us
    • Advertise
    • Employment
  • Contact
  • account
0

A Bundle of Paradoxes

  • Nicole O'Meara
  • May 31, 2022
  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Email
  • Print

My left hand held a peg ever so precariously. With the concentration of a brain surgeon, I moved my arm a few inches and watched as my hand awkwardly struggled to put the peg in a matching hole. Looking at the pile of pegs still left on the table, tears filled my eyes. How could this be happening?

An impartial spinal cord injury on Christmas Eve led to this moment. But knowing how I got here didn’t help much in accepting it.

Through our own choices or through circumstances out of our control, we can end up in places we don’t want to be in. In those places, our belief in a sovereign God is tested. If God is always in control and always good, then by God’s grace, we can still glorify Him even in unsought places.

But we may need help to accept where we are before we can begin the work of glorifying God in it.

If you had seen me that day, with the peg in my hand, you would have seen a woman with shaky hands and tears of fear spilling down her cheeks. An hour later, you would have found me reading my Bible and shedding tears of faith as I declared again that I trust God, even in this place.

My fear and my faith were at war. As Brennan Manning said, “I admit I am bundle of paradoxes.”

As a woman who prides herself on not being needy, I was in a predicament. I like to be the one helping others, not the one asking for help. Yet here I was, needing help for almost everything. My new reality forced me to face the truth that I have always been a needy human being. Now, I needed help to accept this new understanding of my situation but none of the medical professionals had a remedy for that.

In this place of need God met me with His grace. I couldn’t make my heart accept my new life of dependence, but I knew Who could. I lay on my couch and prayed for God to do the work of changing my heart to accept my new reality. This is what the Great Physician is best at. He heals hearts as easily as fitting a peg into a hole.

0
0
0
0
  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Email
  • Print
Nicole O'Meara

Nicole O’Meara writes for Christian women living with rare and chronic diseases, encouraging them to endure with hope. She is a lover of coffee, chocolate and books. She lives in Northern California with her three children, two brought home through adoption, her coffee-roasting husband, and one sweet Aussiedoodle. You can find Nicole on Instagram, on Facebook, and on her blog.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

TRENDING POSTS
  • Dwell bible app 1
    Why You Need This App! The Amazing Dwell Audio Bible Now Has a Kids’ Version!
  • benefits of memorizing scripture 2
    Benefits of Memorizing Scripture and 5 Easy Methods to Help You Get Started
  • childrens book about family 3
    Leapin’ Leopards Book Review: New Childrens Book About Family Adventure!
VISIT OUR SHOP
  • Issue 14 | SIMPLIFY — Digital Version $14.00
  • Issue 07 | DELIGHT — Digital Version $14.00
  • Counting It All Joy—A Digital Bible Study on Joy COUNTING IT ALL JOY | Digital Bible Study $12.00
Follow Us on Instagram
The Joyful Life News
Sign up to receive Joyful Life Community news, weekly blog post updates, shop announcements, and exclusive offers for our subscribers.

AMAZON AFFILIATE PROGRAM DISCLAIMER | The Joyful Life is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Amazon offers a small commission on products sold through their affiliate links. Every purchase you make through our Amazon affiliate links supports our ministry at no additional cost to you.

  • BLOG
  • SHOP
  • WRITE FOR US
  • EMPLOYMENT
  • ADVERTISE
  • Terms
  • ACCOUNT
  • Contact
© 2022 The Joyful Life Co., LLC
Site Design by Maize Agency

Input your search keywords and press Enter.