After numerous doctor visits with no answers, my wife and I lapsed into the frustration of the unknown.
The unknown began after a recent move. My wife lifted an item and felt a stabbing pain. Thinking she had pulled the mesh from a recent hernia surgery, we visited the general surgeon. After testing, he determined it was only scar tissue.
Then, unexplained weight gain led to a trip to the emergency room and then to the cardiologist. Pills to reduce her fluid didn’t work. More tests followed. One revealed an enlarged spleen and liver.
We re-visited the general surgeon who sent her to a kidney specialist. In the meantime, the cardiologist sent her to a gastroenterologist.
Weeks and months passed between the tests and doctor visits. Our frustration mounted as we waited for answers, trying not to imagine the worst.
Paul could have also been frustrated by the unknown. Would he survive the persecutions or the trip to stand trial before the Roman emperor? Would his friends betray him? Instead, he did what he advised others to do.
Praying about the unknown is crucial. Every night, I prayed for my wife to have the strength to face whatever lay ahead and for God to give the doctors the wisdom to find the cause of her dilemma.
Trusting is also important in times of the unknown. God promises never to let us down, regardless of life’s challenges. We can trust him to work things for our good—even things that appear bad. He has our best interests at heart.
Additionally, believing God is sovereign helps control the anxiety and frustration level. If he isn’t, we have an even larger problem than the things causing our frustrations.
In my wife’s case, I believed God could guide the doctors to discover the reason for her health concerns and to give her the proper treatment. I also believed he could heal her without the doctor’s intervention, if he chose.
Don’t let the frustration of the unknown lead you to doubt, anger, bitterness, or unbelief in a loving God. Instead, believe God loves you and has your situation under control.
Father, we trust you to guide us safely into and through the unknowns of our lives.
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