The plans God has for us

We continue to be amazed at God's faithfulness. Chad continues to get stronger. God is giving him the strength and healing he needs everyday. He's walking laps and making great progress. We joke because he is the first person to receive a third double-lung transplant at Duke and he is setting the precedent for everyone after. He is such a fighter and so strong, those who come along after are going to be so irritated to hear his name!

The truth is, it's all God. Many of us know this verse, but it is proven time and again:

"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart." Jeremiah 29:11-13

I was reflecting this morning, asking God if He has been testing our faith. And the response was immediate. Even if our faith has been tested, it is only to make us stronger, and it certainly has. We are able to rest more and trust more, all to His glory and goodness! It is being revealed to me through all of this just how good our God is!

The enemy is still working. He tries to whisper to me that if our God was so good, why would Chad have to go through all of this? It has become clear to me that Chad is a warrior for God's glory. He is truly a servant and he is given strength to fight through the pain, doubt, and worry to show what God is all about. We are promised that this world is not perfect. Look around you, read the news for one day. This world is flawed. It doesn't matter if you are a Christian or not, these are the facts of the world we live in. So, with that comes sickness and sorrow. 

"In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." John 16:33 

We are servants for Christ. Remember, my one goal is to get to heaven and hear, "Well done, good and faithful servant." Matthew 25:23. I think that is essentially the goal of every Christian, and it comes out in different ways in each of our lives. 

This summer, Chad and I were sitting on the porch at the river and having a very difficult conversation: choking back tears to express what was in our hearts. We knew we had to be ready to give it all up, all to His glory, whatever that looked like. And the thing is, we never know what it looks like big picture. Our lives are so temporary here on earth and our lives affect others in ways we don't understand, but God does. We may never see the answer to "Why this?" here on earth, but we are called to trust. 

And we have received a small glimpse of it. We can see that Chad's journey has given others hope. I am happy to know that now that he has done it, others who thought there was no hope after rejection of a second pair of lungs can know that a third transplant can be done at Duke. I know he's happy to shine the light of God's hope and love through this experience. We continue to be amazed and excited for the future!