MIDWEEK MUSE

When things aren’t going well, what do you hope for? I want things to get better, soon. But what if we don’t know that they will? And what if the way to better, or the wait, is hard?

Latayne Scott is an author and Bible teacher. We are represented by the same agency, although we’ve never met. For more than two months, Latayne’s husband, Dan, has been hospitalized with Guillain-Barre syndrome, a paralyzing disorder of the nervous system.

For the second time.

Latayne has been posting throughout these months on her son-in-law’s blog. Her posts are filled with faith. Faith built over time, learning to know God through what he has said. Her words have instructed and encouraged me and many others:

“Many, many of you have commented on my faith through this. I am honored by what you say. But I want to make it clear that what you are seeing is not personal strength nor a feature of my puny character. What you are seeing is a person who has been prepared by reading and believing God’s Word.”

“I have thought long and hard about this. If you do not start with the assumption that God is who and what He says He is—loving, caring, compassionate, all-knowing, ever-vigilant, ever-providing, ever-sympathetic and protective of those who love Him—then you will always let situations define your God.”

“I had a friend who was going through bad circumstances whom I assured that God was working good even in the painful trials. ‘You always alibi for God,’ the friend said angrily to me. ‘Whatever He does, you always make excuses for Him.’

“That stung. But I realized it was true. If we know someone, truly know his or her character, when we are faced with information about that person that we know isn’t in synch with their character, we say, ‘There must be some misunderstanding, because I know that person.’”

 Latayne’s daughter Celeste posted about her mom:

“Our entire life, my mom has studied the Word, praised the Word, and lived it. . . . These past weeks I have been touched to see my mom working with all of God’s strength in loving my dad, comforting him with the most positive and encouraging words, telling nurses and doctors about our family and the Lord’s blessings over us. I see in her a firmly rooted tree that has never let go of the promises of God. Truly, she can ‘laugh at the days to come’ because she knows Who holds them. And we hold with her as we look toward the resolution.”

Throughout this long ordeal, Latayne has remained close to Dan’s side most days and slept at the hospital most nights. She’s kept up with work on a contracted book. She’s maintained a wonderful sense of humor.

But the quality that most defines her has been her faith in God, based on his words. When Dan was still in ICU, Latayne wrote:

“Don’t miss the fact that Dan WILL recover! We are surrounded here in the ICU with people who have no such expectations. Praise God, oh bless His holy Name for that. 

“Nonetheless, our hope is in God, always in Him, not in outcomes. What a great comfort and freedom that is.”

Blessings to you, Latayne and Dan, and to your family. The church and the world need more like you, willing to take God at his word.

photo: freedigitalphotos.net Evgeni Dinev