My Personal Slough

Photo courtesy Grace Thorson 2013

At the end of our yard sits a lovely little corner featuring grass, evergreen trees, and a small pond. It's a peaceful spot, filled with the gentle sounds of the fountain and waterfall. The water's always green, because I can never quite keep it up. I don't care, though. I always wanted my own personal slough. For years it's been my quiet place. I love to sit and watch the dozens of goldfish that greet me and churn the water surface at feeding time.

When we first heard the news our son had broken his neck in Canada and was on a ventilator, we knew very little about his condition. We didn't know if he was still alive or had died. My husband grimly called the Lethbridge hospital for information. I stood beside him in agony.

Suddenly I just had to escape. I could take no more. I bolted outside, as if I could outrun reality.

This is the place to which I ran. I collapsed next to the pond, buried my head in my hands, and sobbed. It nearly killed me to think of our dear son so far away and fighting for his life. I thought I was going to break into thousands of jagged little pieces. I couldn't even pray.

"Oh...God, " I moaned.

It was here, next to my little slough, God answered. Two unmistakable words broke through the blinding pain, two quiet words, spoken with absolute authority in a Voice I had come to recognize and love over the years. The Voice commanded me to be still.

The words He spoke: Trust Me.

It's been nearly sixteen years since that awful day. We have had many trials and victories in that time. The thing that has remained constant is God's faithfulness to His Word. I've learned quite a few lessons on this journey, but the most important one has been the one I found at the pond. In times of trial, the only safe place to run is to God. He still performs miracles, He's still our faithful Father, and He's worthy of our trust. He has never once let us down.

What do you need to trust Him for today?



Portions of this post are excerpted from my first book, Song in the Night, which chronicles our son's injury and God's amazing work in our lives. Click on songinthenight.net to find out more about our story.