God’s Faithfulness in the Journey

Cheri Strange

faithfulness

Have you ever been so busy with everyday life that you didn’t realize God’s incredible faithfulness until you looked back? Sometimes, I think we take our faith and God for granted until we take a step back, look at our journey, and evaluate God’s involvement in our lives.

God’s Faithfulness Unseen

After graduation from The University of Texas in Austin, my first job was with Phillips 66 in Oklahoma. Most of my college friends stayed in Texas after graduation, but I was quite motivated to go wherever my career led me. The plan was to train in their headquarters and when my own territory opened up, move to that new location. A position became available in Minnesota in January 1997. Not knowing any better and wanting to be a team player, I said “yes”.

I have never seen that much snow or lived in that cold of temperatures before in my life, but God had a plan. I found a church and met my husband, Dainis, there. We were only dating for six weeks when he popped the big question! His mom had passed away from a sixteen-year battle with hormonal cancer, a month before we met. Neither of us knew I would face medical challenges myself in the future, but God did. God knew I would need a special mate by my side and Dainis had watched his dad take care of his mom all those years, and knew innately what it looked like to take care of a spouse on a medical journey. A few months before our fifth-year wedding anniversary, I suffered a massive stroke.

God’s Faithfulness Revealed

I transitioned from my career at Northwest Airlines to Office Manager at our church on January 2, 2003. Three weeks into the job on a Friday, I was not feeling well but was not aware of the signs of a stroke until my leg went numb. I was only 29 and that was not on my radar screen. Originally, I took the job at the church to help start our family but now know that through God’s faithfulness, He provided that job for me in order to save my life. I was unconscious before even getting into the ambulance. I had an emergency brain surgery that night to stop the bleeding and woke up seventeen days later from a drug-induced coma, completely paralyzed on the left side.

The stroke was caused by an undetected malformation of blood vessels on the right side of my brain. After another major brain surgery and two month’s stay in the hospital, I went home in a wheelchair. Two months after discharge, Dainis, who worked in the aviation industry, lost his job due to the slowdown from September 11th terrorist attacks. Through God’s faithfulness, he found a new opportunity in Arizona. I also found a wonderful new neuro rehab clinic in Phoenix called SWAN Rehab. Had we not moved to Arizona and I received the care I did, I would not be the independent person I am today.

“He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he.” Deuteronomy 32:4 NIV

God’s Faithfulness in Your Life

As you get to know God, his character, and start to depend on Him, your faith also grows. It is our faith in God that will carry us through the good times as well as the challenging ones. Many times it takes us looking back on our journey to see God’s faithfulness, but He truly is right there beside us every step of the way.

Lori

faithfulness

 

Meet my friend, Lori Voeber. Lori suffered a hemorrhagic stroke at age twenty-nine, then developed epilepsy from the stroke. She is a walking miracle and felt called to share her journey of faith and perseverance to encourage others. Even with her difficulties, they were able to become adoptive parents to a sibling group of three. She published her first book, CHOICES: When You Are Faced with a Challenge, What Choice Will You Make?, and has been connecting and encouraging others to choose to bloom in every circumstance.  Her website is www.lorivober.com and Facebook is https://www.facebook.com/lori.vober.

 

 

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Times of testing

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