What about Thursday?

The procedure is on Wednesday. The doctor’s done this one dozens of times or more. But this is your first. It’s risky. Really risky. Too risky? But you have no choice.

So you start getting ready. Not packing a bag for your hospital stay, or having your mail stopped for a few days. Getting yourself ready on the inside. The thinking you. The feeling you. The believing you. You’re getting all of those yous ready, mentally rehearsing Tuesday night with your family and Wednesday morning in pre-op. You pray to Jesus, asking Him to be with you and with them and with the doctors, and – yes, Lord – make it work.

The surgery is supposed to take 4-6 hours, unless… And there it is. The unknown. The doctor told you the potential downside if they find something worse than what the xrays and ultrasounds revealed. But you filed that away, hoping that ignoring the potential would squash it before it became reality.
Now all those yous start kicking into overdrive. You think you’ve got a handle on Wednesday, but what about Thursday? Or next week? Next month? Next year? What happens then? What are you going to do if it goes bad? What about your family? Who’s going to take care of them? How do we get through this? How do we move forward? What is life going to be like if it doesn’t go according to plan?

And the question marks keep pelting you like baseball-sized hail. You cannot answer them, but you keep asking. Eventually it starts to really hurt. What about Thursday?

Once you stop running through the hailstorm and take refuge inside a God-given safe room somewhere, Jesus starts addressing your concerns. You see, He’s seen this so many times before, from just about every child of God He ever created. Your concern gives birth to worry, and worry grows up into fear.

Jesus reminds you, “I know the plans I have for you – plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart.” (Jeremiah 29:11-13)

Of course, Jesus knows you can’t just flip a switch from fear to faith, so He revisits His promise to stay with you from here to there, from now til then. “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9)

But Jesus doesn’t do sophistry like “Don’t worry, be happy,” so He builds up your strength and courage from within. “Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the Word of Christ,” (Romans 10:17), so Jesus tells you, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me (Matthew 28:18), and nothing has been left outside of My control (Hebrews 2:8).

“There is surely a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off (Proverbs 23:18), for I have called you by name; you are Mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you, and the rivers will not sweep over you. You and I will walk through the fire and not be burned (Isaiah 43:1-2), because I love you. In fact, we’ll walk through the valley of the shadow of death together – no fear (Psalm 23:4).

I am your refuge and fortress, your God and Savior. I will save you from every snare and disease. I will shield you with My faithfulness. All the flaming arrows aimed at you will be knocked aside. Because you love Me, I will rescue you and protect you. Call on me and I will answer, because I am right there with you. I will deliver you and honor you. With long life I will satisfy you and I will show you My salvation.” (Psalm 91)

But you still can’t help it: “What about Thursday?”

With a gentle smile, Jesus says to you, “I am going there to prepare a place for you. Then I will come and take you there Myself, for you to be with Me always. (John 14:2-3) You see, I’m already there, your Thursday. And Friday. And next week and forever. But whatever you think is killing you won’t be. I have a place for you. The whole you.”

He looks you in the eye – all the way inside to the thinking you, the feeling you and the believing you – and tells them all, “I’ve got this. I’ve got you. I’ve got the doctors and the nurses and the technicians, the PAs and the CNAs and the valets. And I’ve got your family in My hands. Now, who do you think can take better care of them, you or Me?”

It’s the first question mark He brought to you. And it isn’t really even a question.

Peace starts taking hold of all the yous, slowly, steadily, but gradually spreading nevertheless. The Spirit puts David’s words in motion for you: “I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.” (Psalm 27:13-14)

​Thursday is the day the Lord has made…