What will go wrong next?
Photo by Dev Asangbam on Unsplash
When our family gathers around the dinner table each evening this summer, that question pops up at some point in every conversation—here is why:
In June, I went to the doctor with throbbing varicose veins. A dozen years ago, I had surgery to close them, but the recent test results showed the veins have since opened again. The reoccurrence only happens 10% of the time.
Our family pickup truck started acting up in early July, a week before our long-anticipated family vacation. In short order, our plans had morphed into a staycation.
In the middle of the staycation, my husband had to take our son-in-law to the ER with heart attack-like symptoms. It was not a heart attack, but he was in the hospital for three days before the doctors diagnosed him.
A week later, my husband had a rib go out of place. He says he has never been in so much pain.
Our air conditioning system–installed last fall–has never operated correctly. The problem is so bad that we are on a first-name basis with our repair technician. He is here again today. He will probably be here tomorrow.
My husband and I have a trip planned for the end of August in the camper we purchased in May. We are still waiting to receive the license plates.
Last night, our son-in-law needed to return to the ER for chest pains. While the symptoms were not as severe as before, my husband brought him in. This time the doctors quickly identified the cause.
This list shows why the summer of 2022 has risen to second place in my list of challenging summers. But no matter how bad this summer gets, it will never overtake 1982.
In May of that year, our son was born and received a diagnosis that required immediate surgery. At that time, my husband and I did not gather around the supper table and ask: “What will go wrong next?” There were two simple reasons for this:
Our son and I were in the hospital while my husband was at home working.
. We were home, taking turns eating supper and caring for our child.
Those were hard days. I did not handle them well. This time I am doing better for one reason: God is teaching me the joy of resting in his sovereignty through studying the book of Acts in conjunction with a sermon series at our church. The book is replete with evidence of God's plans moving forward as the disciples persevere through hardship.
The morning before our son-in-law went to the ER for the second time this summer; I dug into Acts 18:21, which says this:
But on taking leave of them he (Paul) said, “I will return to you if God wills,” and he set sail from Ephesus.
The reference "if God wills" led to verse after verse, in which New Testament writers stated what they hoped would happen next. In the next breath, they offered their hopes up to God's will.
The hardships faced by the apostles make our recent experiences seem like a walk in the park.
Surely, the Holy Spirit whispered to me, “if those apostles could rest in the sovereignty of God through accusations, stoning, riots, imprisonment, shipwrecks, and more, you can rest in his plan for resolving air conditioning breakdowns, health concerns, and wonky vacations.”
The night after the Holy Spirit spoke to me, my husband and son-in-law went to the ER at 10:30. A few minutes later, our air conditioning quit working again. I coaxed it into commission once more. Then instead of asking “What will go wrong next?” and worrying about what was out of my control, I followed the apostle’s example, rested in the sovereignty of God, and slept all night.
My brain wishes God had spoken that truth into me the first summer I was a mom. My heart, on the other hand, acknowledges that the thoughts and ways of God are far above mine. Peace fills my soul and finds joy in the new clarity He has given me.
I was not ready for this truth 40 years ago.
Maybe God wanted this truth shared with a caregiving family who wonders what may go wrong next, right this minute.
Maybe God wanted it shared on the internet, which was not around 40 years ago.
Maybe God wants caregiving parents to know it is okay to ask: “What will go wrong next?”
Maybe He also wants us to rest in a God who knows what will go wrong next and can use it for the good we will one day see.
Jolene Philo is the author of several books for the caregiving community. She speaks at parenting and special needs conferences around the country. She's also the creator and host of the Different Dream website. Sharing Love Abundantly With Special Needs Families: The 5 Love Languages® for Parents Raising Children with Disabilities, which she co-authored with Dr. Gary Chapman, was released in August of 2019 and is available at local bookstores, their bookstore website, and Amazon. See Jane Run!, the first book in the West River cozy mystery series was released in June of 2022.
