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God Knows What He’s Doing {No Matter What Monday}

June 18, 2018 by Marissa Leave a Comment

I hopped on a plane last week to go to a conference, and I’m thankful for the ease and efficiency of air travel (at least most of the time!). But for a control-freak like me, it’s a little unsettling to place my life in the hands of someone I’ve never met. I wish I could interview the pilot before each flight: How long have you been doing this? Did you get good sleep last night? Any distracting personal problems you’d like to talk through before we take off?

And yet, the truth is that no matter how sleep-deprived or distracted the pilot may be, I can count on the pilot to do a better job flying the plane than I would. None of the other passengers are wishing I was in the cockpit! It’s a good idea for us to acknowledge that we don’t know as much about flying a plane as the one behind the wheel.

When I feel nervous about the wheels lifting off the ground, it helps to remember that there is One who has even more control over that plane than the pilot. Psalm 139 tell us that our heavenly Father has written every single one of our days in His book:

“Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.” (Psalm 139:16)

There’s no need for us to interview God about His qualifications to hold our days in His hands. He is all-knowing and all-wise, and His understanding is unsearchable. He’s perfectly holy, good, faithful. He has the power to bring about all His plans for us, and nothing can thwart His purposes.

Sometimes life feels out of control and I don’t know what’s coming next. But nothing will touch my life that isn’t known and planned by my loving Heavenly Father. He knows where this plane is headed, He knows how we will get there, and He promises to be with me through the journey.

No matter what you face this week, your faithful Father knows what He’s doing in your life.

The Lord Will Sustain You {No Matter What Monday}

May 21, 2018 by Marissa Leave a Comment

*** My new book, Loving Your Friend through Cancer, releases at the end of this month! To celebrate, each Monday devotional in May will feature one of my favorite verses from my cancer battle several years ago. I hope you will be encouraged by these scriptures and add them to your list to share with a friend who is suffering. ***

Have you ever felt like the weight of suffering or sorrow might crush you? I remember an especially difficult day in the midst of my cancer battle seven years ago. We had just learned that I would need to start spending most of my time in Houston, receiving treatment on a clinical trial at MD Anderson Cancer Center.

As I sat in the Houston airport waiting to return home for a few days, the tears wouldn’t stop flowing. The logistical challenges swirled in my mind. I felt weighed down by grief, knowing I’d miss so much time with my young children.

In the months that followed, the Lord showed me over and over again that He was with me in my suffering. He never asked me to carry the burden alone. He taught me how to accept help from the body of Christ and often quieted my anxious heart with His sustaining faithfulness.

“Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken.” (Psalm 55:22, NIV)

What does it look like to cast your cares on the Lord? The word cast means to throw, hurl, or fling. Imagine standing at the edge of a cliff, reaching your arm behind you, and throwing your worries as far as they will go. When our burdens are too much for our own strength, we can cast them on the Lord. He will carry them for us.

As we cast our burdens on Him, God says He will sustain us. We don’t need to stand on our own strength or skill. He doesn’t look at our pain and say, “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.” He sees our weakness and asks us to throw the burden on Him. He has all the strength we need. He holds us tight and will never let us go.

No matter what you face this week, the Lord will sustain you.

Our Eyes are on You {No Matter What Monday}

November 6, 2017 by Marissa Leave a Comment

I stood at the kitchen sink with my face in my hands while my two little boys ran circles around me and the newborn cried from her crib. I had just learned that a close family member had been diagnosed with cancer. As I looked around the chaos of my life as a young mom, I wondered, How can I possibly help? What can I do to support her? I have no idea what to do.

Later that month, I came across a treasure in the book of 2 Chronicles 20. In this chapter, the king of Judah hears that three armies have united against him and are on their way to attack. The people all gather together in the temple, standing with their families, and, I imagine, shaking with fear. King Jehoshaphat cries out to the Lord, praises Him for His sovereignty and power, and asks for deliverance from the only One who can offer it:

“O our God, will you not execute judgment on them? For we are powerless against this great horde that is coming against us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.” (2 Chronicles 20:12)

This passage became a lifeline for me as our extended family walked through cancer that summer. I had no idea God was teaching me to keep my eyes on Him in hard times because I would face my own cancer battle the following year.

I often don’t know what to do. Life overwhelms me, parenting perplexes me, relationships frustrate me, and my sin shows me that I don’t have the Christian life figured out. But through it all, there is One who is more powerful than our strongest enemy, possesses all the wisdom we could ever need, and keeps all His promises to us.

When you don’t know what to do, keep looking to Him. Keep crying out to Him and depending on His promises and strength. Just as He defeated the enemies of His people on that day thousands of years ago, He will give you wisdom and strength when you have no idea what to do.

No matter what you face this week, keep your eyes on your faithful and mighty Father.

The Words No One Said to My Son that Night (and Why I’m Grateful)

October 19, 2017 by Marissa 3 Comments

The lights dimmed as I gripped my program and shifted in my seat with anticipation. After driving my son to what felt like 101 rehearsals, I was ready to watch him perform in his school’s junior high musical.

The spotlights followed the young teenagers around the stage, songs filled the air, and my son made the audience roar with laughter. I felt the familiar joy all moms feel as we watch our children do well. I felt relief that he didn’t forget his lines or trip over his own rapidly-growing feet.

I also felt a weight of gratitude that I suspect didn’t cross the other moms’ minds that evening. I was thankful that my son had a great time performing, for friends and relatives who joined us in the audience, and for a school that gives my child these opportunities. But there was one thing I was grateful for above all of these.

I was grateful that no one would say to my son that night, “Your mom sure would’ve loved this. She’d be so proud of you.”

Seven years ago, as I read the dismal survival rates for angiosarcoma, as I traveled to MD Anderson Cancer Center to receive months of treatment and participate in a clinical trial, as I walked through the early months and years of survivorship . . . I thought ahead to these moments. I saw my children, a few inches taller and a few years more mature, playing in piano competitions, dancing in ballet recitals, competing in spelling bees, and walking to the stage during school awards assemblies.

No matter how much I squinted and searched, I couldn’t see whether or not I was sitting in the crowd. I feared those normally-happy occasions would be marred by my absence. I imagined the sad half-smiles and the words others would say to console my children: “Your mom would be so proud.”

And by God’s grace, here I am. Not a week goes by that I don’t marvel at my presence here in 2017. I know other children are missing their moms, and it breaks my heart. I don’t take my present or future health for granted.

But as the house lights came up and I made my way to the lobby after the show, it was a joy to hug my son and say, “Wow, I really loved that! I sure am proud of you.”

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