TUNE IN: APPLE PODCASTS | SPOTIFY | PANDORA | AMAZON MUSIC
Hey sweet sisters!
Today’s story is one of trials and triumph, of trusting God and having complete faith in His goodness. It’s a story my family and I never thought we would walk through.
My daughter, Chloe, turned 13 back in July and we celebrated in a big way! But the day after her birthday, we received some unexpected news during Chloe’s routine back-to-school physical exam. Our sweet girl was told that she had scoliosis. To say we were all in shock is a bit of an understatement. If you’re a mom, I’m sure you can imagine the range of emotions that crept up at that moment. We were told that she would need to see a specialist to determine if it was something that could be fixed with a back brace or if it was at a point where she would need surgery.
As we waited a couple of months for our appointment with the specialist, we prayed…and actually pleaded with God that we could go the brace route – anything but surgery. But that wasn’t the case. The doctor broke the news that Chloe needed to have the surgery that we all were hoping to avoid. I remember feeling shock, grief and honestly…devastation. And when everyone was in bed later that night, I broke down.
But God. He met me in that moment and spoke the following things to my heart that night:
-I understand, my Son went through pain also.
-I gave her you. I made you her mom to comfort and support her. You’re equipped to love her through a time such as this.
-Your child is an extension of you just as you are an extension of me. You hurt when she hurts. I hurt when you hurt.
-I’m teaching you empathy and compassion. This journey is not only for Chloe, it’s also for you and other mamas who are hurting because their children are hurting.
-Katie, this is meant to strengthen your faith. Chloe’s faith is deep and child-like. Her faith is an example for you to grow in yours. You can trust me.
Those five things felt so powerful and I immediately wrote them down.
So, the day before Chloe’s pre-op, I had noticed a couple of feathers in our house and didn’t really think too much of it. Chloe, who loves to paint and is an amazing artist, had come home from school that day not knowing about the feathers and said she wanted to look up a Youtube tutorial on how to paint watercolor feathers.
After finding those feathers in my house and then Chloe wanting to paint a feather, I had started researching feathers in the Bible, and here is what I found in Psalm 91:4.
He will cover you with his feathers; you will take refuge under his wings. His faithfulness will be a protective shield.
I immediately knew that scripture was for Chloe and for me and it brought on a sense of peace and hope.
Chloe’s surgery went perfectly, but the following days were met with some ups and downs which was to be expected. We were all exhausted and Chloe was in pain. But through the pain, her joy was radiating and even the nurses and doctors commented on how full of joy and faith she was, especially for a 13 year old who just went through something so hard.
The morning before Chloe was to be released from the hospital, we were completely worn out. We were walking down the hallways of the hospital wing and God reminded us of the way He had covered us through this time. As we were walking, I noticed an immediate change in the expression on Chloe’s face. It was then that she pointed out that in all of the artwork that was hung in that wing of the hospital that we were staying in…each piece had feathers and birds in them.
God was saying – I have gone before you and I’ve been with you the whole time. We were surrounded by His goodness, faithfulness, and protection.
There were a couple of other instances that came about with feathers and birds (like Chloe’s doctor’s name!) which I share more about on the podcast but they all pointed to the fact that God was with us through it all. Chloe is doing extremely well today and we are so blessed and thankful!
Here’s the thing…we are all going to walk through tough times in this life. But those things, they are not without a purpose. And they can be used for good! God will never leave us. We can experience peace in the midst of a storm if we call out for Jesus.
Sweet sister, I pray that Chloe’s story inspires you and speaks to your heart. I hope it helps you feel God’s goodness and faithfulness. Through the trials and the suffering, God will use those things to help you grow as a person, to help you grow in relationship with Him because He loves you so much!
P.S. We just hit our 100th episode on the podcast! If you’ve been loving the content and think others would do…screenshot an episode, post it on your IG and then tag me @katielynnhedrick. I’ll be drawing one winner to receive a bundle of personal growth goodies and a $100 Amazon gift card! You can post several times for more entries! Let’s grow, sister!
