March 11, 2022
By: Tiffany Pearl
Update on Bella:
Jesus never promised that when we follow Him, we will be without struggles, without pain, without sorrow. He never told us we wouldn’t walk through valleys or not have to climb mountains. He knew we would weep and cry tears caused by heartache and grief. He knew there would be days we were tired, worn out…days so hard that we can barely get out of bed and face the world.
In fact, He tells us the exact opposite.
“In this world you will have trouble, but take heart, I have overcome the world “
Jesus told His disciples this the night before His death. He told them this to give them comfort and encouragement…that no matter what would happen in their life, Jesus had conquered it. He has victory over all of it, all the hurt, all the pain, and most importantly, sin and death. This holds true for us too. We can have confidence and peace knowing that Jesus has defeated all of it and we can hold on to His promises.
As we walked through Bella’s first week of radiation, the reality that this is going to be hard quickly set in. After only four days, she is already feeling the effects of the radiation on her body. Most of her days were spent sleeping for hours in the hotel room bed. We filled her belly with whatever sounded good in the moment, whether it was a whole pint of strawberries, roasted Brussels sprouts or a late night run to Wendy’s for a frosty! Whatever worked to rid her of the nausea. And then there was the emotional toll, being away from the comforts of home, her friends, her sister and her naughty beagle, Winnie. We are grateful for FaceTime but we all know it’s just not the same as being in person. We also had a small hiccup in our housing situation but God quickly helped us in that and steered us in a different direction.
Despite navigating through a difficult week of uncertainties, we did and will continue to hold on to God’s promises as we go into the next week. We will cling to these promises:
He is always with us
“And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age “ Matthew 28:20
He will protect us
“He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.” Psalm 91:4
He goes before us
“The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” Deuteronomy 31:8
He gives us peace
“And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:7
We do not need to be afraid
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go” Joshua 1:9
He will give us strength
“My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. “ Psalm 73:26
He will give us rest
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”Matthew 11:28
He fights our battles for us
“For the Lord your God is the One who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory.” Deuteronomy 20:4
He has defeated death
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. “ John 3:16
I was reminded of these promises every time I would peer onto my sweet girl’s tiny sleeping body in the bed from the doorway, with the cross hanging above her from the church behind the hotel. It radiated over her. It was as if God was reassuring me…”she is mine, I have her, I am with her. Take heart…I promise”
This promise is not just for her, not just for our family, it is for all who put their faith and trust in Jesus.
You are His. He has you. He is with you.
Take heart ❤️
If you have some time, my beautiful sister sent this song to me and it has meant a lot to me this week:)
-Tiffany