Gò0dNews for Everyone
Faith Or Endurance?
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by Susan Newberry
everal weeks ago, I was feeling aggravated and
It’s been many years since my father-in-law passed away.
stressed. The COVID virus was causing too many
He was living with us at the time and was a strong-willed
changes in my life. While I didn’t know anyone
man who had been healthy most of his life. His illness made
personally who had the virus early on, I was now seeing
him difficult to deal with; he gave up and was waiting to die.
almost daily prayer requests on social media for people I
At church one night, I went to the altar and prayed fervently
knew, people I was friends with. It made the virus seem
for patience to deal with him. Be careful what you pray for!
more “real” when it started impacting people whom I knew
He soon began to decline, was bedridden, and had to be put
and cared about.
on a feeding tube (which he pulled out more than once).
In addition, there was the upcoming elections. I am a conservative, a supporter of President Trump, and pro-life. All I saw was negativity, hate, and conflict. I was thankful our economy was doing well, despite COVID, but I didn’t like that my family had not celebrated Easter, birthdays, Thanksgiving, and other holidays together as we have always done in the past. One day, I was expressing all this to my daughter, who gently reminded me that I should have faith: faith that God was in control and that my worry was contradictory to trusting Him in all things. I had to pray, asking Him to forgive my lack of faith and trust in the difficult times. It’s
One night, he began hallucinating while Lane was
easy to not call on God when things in life are rolling along
working a 24-hour shift at the fire department. I sat by his
normally: no sickness, no job issues, no money problems.
bed most of that night holding his hand so he could sleep
It’s when things go wrong that we first think we can handle
and the “men in the closet” wouldn’t get him. That night,
it ourselves, and when we fail—we finally give it to God.
God answered my prayer and gave me patience. The next
James 1:3 tell us, “…for you that when your faith is tested,
few days, we were able to spend time with him, and I was
your endurance has a chance to grow.”
blessed to be with him when he drew his last breath.
Sometimes we pray for something in faith, but we want
I’ve had many days since, good and bad, that continue to teach me faith and endurance, and for that I say, “Thank
pray for something, someone, or a situation, I must have the
you, Lord.”
endurance to keep praying and wait for God’s answer, in God’s time.
24 // March 2021
About The Author
an answer in our time. I’ve learned that while it’s fine to
Susan Newberry and her husband, Lane have been married over 43 years. They have 3 children (one with Jesus) who blessed them with 3 grandsons, and a spoiled Shih Tzu who loves to go camping with them. They love the Lord and attend Salem Baptist Church.
