“God has made everything beautiful for its own time.” Ecclesiastes 3:11a (NLT)

The other day during his swim lesson, my son swam the length of the pool.

Twice.

He swam from the deep end to the shallow end, and back again. Now, I know this may not seem very remarkable. Every mother is proud when her child learns to do something new, right? But not every mother gets to know the joy of seeing her child do something she thought she might never witness.

My son was a shoulder dystocia baby.

He got stuck in the birth canal as he entered the world, and as a result, he acquired a nerve injury. For months, my son had no use of his right arm.

Nothing. Nada. Zilch.

I watched my newborn son throw, wave, and extend one arm while the other arm lay completely still.

My heart felt like stone. I felt guilty. I grieved. I was simply heartbroken. My newborn son did not have perfectly moving limbs. For three months I cried every day. And I wondered what only time would tell — how hard his life might be with that one arm that didn't work like it was supposed to.

Truth be told, I was angry with God for allowing a bad thing to happen, and I was on a mission to fix it as much as was humanly possible. I spent a lot of time and money seeing various doctors, traveling out of town, trying different therapies — none of which changed the bottom line. He was injured. For life.

But here's what I didn't know then that I want to share with you now: Life gets better.

Even when the source of our pain remains a source of constant heartache, time can bring a healing like no other.

King Solomon, one of the wisest men to ever live, authored Ecclesiastes where he reminds us: “God has made everything beautiful for its own time" (Ecclesiastes 3:11a).

Psalms 118:17 says, "… I will not die, but live, and tell of the works of the LORD" (NASB).

Simply put: If you just keep on living, you’ll be able to tell the story of how God has brought you through. Because one way or another, He always does.

My son swam the length of that pool. Twice. And he swam it with both arms moving — not moving perfectly — but moving nonetheless.

Over time, there has been a healing available through God's power and the gifting He’s given to many smart and capable individuals that have been a part of my son's medical journey. Over time, things have gotten better.

Now I'm not going to sugar coat things — my son still has an injury.

His arm will never be perfect. My mother's heart will always want to fix that for him, and I won't be able to. But time has brought a healing. With the passing of time, I’ve seen the deep pain I experienced equally matched by many moments of unexpected joy. And when I reached the end of all that was humanly possible, God’s worked through His never-ending power to make all things beautiful with time.

How is that possible? He’s changed me.

God in His goodness works to change us. He changes our perspective. He allows us to see what He sees … that even when things aren’t as perfect, easy, or as straightforward as we would like them to be … they still can be beautiful.

You or someone you love may have to live with the reality of an injury of the mind, body or soul. With all your heart, you might want to fix something and not be able to. That something or someone may never be perfect.

But you need to know time can bring a healing. With time, God can take the hard moments and make them happy. He can replace sorrow with a smile. He can make the mountain of grief or regret you’re climbing now, into a place where you can later view the beautiful landscape of your life.

Not perfect, but beautiful.

God does bring healing in time. Take courage and hold on. And know that even from your pain, beauty can blossom. God makes everything beautiful in its time.

Dear God, if I’m honest, there are times where I feel deep pain. It’s hard to continue. There are no smiles. I don’t feel joy. Please help me trust You when it’s hard. Help me believe that, with time, You can make something beautiful of my life. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

TRUTH FOR TODAY:

Romans 8:18, “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.” (NASB)

RELATED RESOURCES:

Ever wish to know more about how you can make it through hard times? Check out Chrystal Evans Hurst’s new book, She’s Still There: Rescuing the Girl in You.

CONNECT:

Would you like a reminder that God can make something beautiful of your life? Click here to download a free printable Chrystal has made available for you.

REFLECT AND RESPOND:

Maybe you’re facing a difficult season right now. What helps you continue to believe God is with you and that He can bring healing?

Have you ever experienced the blessing of time healing the hurts of your heart? Share your experience by leaving a comment here as an encouragement to another sister in the Lord.

© 2017 by Chrystal Evans Hurst. All rights reserved.