Chris Seidman once said that we often put more Faith into a tiny white Tylenol pill than we do in our God. This statement has stuck with me for years as I have pondered its meaning. We believe in the Tylenol and trust it, we know that it will take away our headache and provide relief. Yet there are so many times in our lives when we can’t offer that same type of trust to our Creator, our Father.
As I’ve worked to change this within myself, there are days when I Trust Him well and weeks when I struggle greatly. But He is so faithful and He continues to grow me through each struggle and every victory.
But it’s the monuments that I choose to cling to, reminding me of what He has done in my life.
When Van was 4, I turned my ankle one day as we were walking out of a building and off of a curb. It was a trying season with loss in various forms, and as I sat on the ground wincing in pain, I felt burning anger towards God for not defending me.
The moment of accusation towards Him quickly turned as I heard Him speak into my heart these words.
HE IS GOOD. It was NOT Him.
I looked at my 4 year old and with tears running down my face, I asked him to pray for me. With love in his voice, Van began to pray for healing of my ankle. When he finished his simple prayer, he did something that normally would make me laugh or smile at the “cute” action.
Van turned to the curb and said with great authority, “Street, you can NOT hurt my Mommy!”
All of a sudden it was as if the Earth stopped moving and a scripture was brought to my mind.
In Luke 10:19 it reads that He has given us authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; that nothing will harm you.
He has given us authority over “scorpions and snakes” and the authority to overcome ALL the power of the enemy. And just like that, I felt EMPOWERED. I realized that I just needed to use my authority, and have more Faith in my Father than in the Tylenol in my purse. I prayed out loud and thanked God for His authority, and I asked Him to heal my ankle and foot.
The discoloration and swelling didn’t change, and it hurt like crazy with each step that I took. Yet something inside of me had an inkling of Faith. So I spoke out loud that my foot would be good as new the next morning. I went to bed with my foot on a pillow and an Ibuprofen in my mouth, and I set my alarm to meet my friend to go jogging early the next morning.
We ran only a few miles that next morning, but my Faith grew exponentially.
He cares not only about the big issues of our lives, but also about the small ones, even a hurt ankle. If you, like me, have more faith in a white pill than you do your Father, I encourage you.. take a risk the next time He urges you to. You won’t be disappointed.
Jacob's Ladder 