This is actually the piece that originally brought me to the Faithwriters’ website.  I had originally written this for an essay promt for a book.   It was never published in the book, but it’s still one of my favorites.  It describes some of the struggles I’ve been through in life, and how God has brought me through them.  Enjoy.

Except God

The song “Cares Chorus” by Kelly Willard talks about how we can cast all of cares on God. It comes straight from scripture, in I Peter 5:7 where it says “Casting all your cares upon Him, because he cares for you.” The song has so much meaning in it, especially to a third grader going through a hard time.

Throughout my life, I have had various medical problems. Although the pregnancy and birth were mostly uneventful, shortly after I was born, I stopped eating. No one really knows why. Except God. I was tube fed for awhile, and finally I started eating on my own once again. I was far behind my peers in my physical development. Whether this and my eating habits were related, and whether any of my other medical problems are related, no one knows. Except God. Next, in kindergarten, I had eye muscle surgery. It really wasn’t a big deal, but as a kindergartner, I grew increasingly tired of explaining for what seemed like the thousandth time why I had a patch over one of my eyes. Next, I was placed on growth hormone therapy. I received injections of human growth hormone 3-7 times a week. This would continue until adolescence. I was never diagnosed with growth hormone deficiency, but they could find no other reason for my short stature. I was part of a research group to determine whether growth hormone was effective for those not diagnosed with growth hormone deficiency. Why I was so short with no apparent reason, no one knows. Except God.

The next big medical event in my life happened when I was in third grade. While checking for something completely unrelated, the doctors discovered that my hips were out of the sockets and had probably been that way for years. I never experienced pain, which surprised everyone. Except God. Shortly afterwards I was scheduled to have hip surgery. If I didn’t have it then, it would have likely caused major problems by the time I was a teenager. Why my hips were out of the sockets, no one knows. Except God.

On January 5, 1993, I had surgery to put both hips back in the sockets. For about six weeks after that, I was in a body cast. My legs were spread apart in a V shape. The cast went up both legs, then up past my hips, to the bottom of my rib cage. I could not walk, stand, or even sit upright for those 6 weeks. Those six weeks, and the time leading up to the surgery were hard for me. I drew some of my strength from the song “Cares Chorus.” The same God who knew then and knows now all the intricate parts of my body, the same God who knows exactly why I had those various medical problems, could give me strength. I could cast all of my worries, all of my fears, all of my anxieties on Him. I didn’t have to worry! This meant so much to me. This doesn’t mean I was never scared. Of course I was scared when the nurses wheeled me into the operating room. Of course I was scared when I first started to learn to walk again after the cast was taken off. Of course I was scared when I returned to school after 2 or 3 months of being away from my classmates. But I knew that God was in control. He would take care of all of my worries no matter what. If I didn’t know what to do, He did.

Since then, I have had no major medical problems. One doctor once told my parents that he wasn’t sure if I would live. I did. Some doctors said that if I did live, I would have multiple disabilities, including learning disabilities. I don’t. In fact, I graduated from high school with a 4.1 GPA. I was frequently sick as a child, yet I graduated from high school with perfect attendance for all four years. No one expected that. Except God. I don’t hear that song much lately; but when I do, I am reminded that the same God who made the universe cared enough to send a special song to a third grade girl who needed some comfort. No one expected that. Except God.

Author’s Notes:
This is a revised version of the original essay I wrote. The original essay included the song lyrics, but since I don’t have permission to use them, I can’t post them. I hope to post the original version if and when I get copyright permissions.

You are free to use this article anywhere, put please let me know you are using it. I like to know where my writing is being used.