“The CT Scan indicates your daughter needs brain surgery . . .”

This was not the diagnosis we expected to receive while on our family summer vacation. What we thought was a simple bicycle accident turned out to be quite the opposite. Our 16-year-old daughter, Ellie, fell and suffered a concussion and terrible road burns all over.

The Condition Was Pre-existing

To our surprise, ER doctors said her scan showed one area was larger than it should be. The diagnosis was hydrocephalus, a condition in which excess cerebrospinal fluid builds up within the ventricles of the brain.

The neurosurgeon stated a shunt was required that would properly drain the fluid. Panic began creeping up my chest. My mind jumped between disbelief and denial.

Then a thought flashed: “Worrying doesn’t change the situation.” I took a deep breath and pushed my anxious thoughts aside.

Usually, I go into full-faith mode, repeating favorite Scripture verses to control my chaotic thoughts such as Psalm 42:11, “Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.” Except in that moment, every verse flew right out of my head and the thought of trying to maintain a heart of gratitude was ludicrous. It was a downright battle.

My go-to verse, James 1:2, taunted me: “When troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy.” Not even a little bit.

The doctor spoke, snapping me out of my shock. She said my daughter would have to live with a shunt for the rest of her life and possibly run the constant risk of infection. She was, more than likely, born with the condition, and apparently, it was not a result of the accident. The consolation was if she hadn’t HAD the accident, we may have never known until it was too late. She could have lost her eyesight or worse.

After the doctor left, my daughter and I stared at each other for a minute in disbelief. But she said something I will never forget, “God knew this was here all along, didn’t He, Mom?”

It was exactly what I needed to hear at that moment. I took a moment to breathe a prayer of gratitude for revealing this pre-existing condition and asked for God’s direction. It became crystal clear . . .

God’s in Control of All The Details

Two years before having Ellie, we had a terrifying situation with her cousin who was born with complications in which he needed multiple brain surgeries. We knew he had the absolute best neurosurgeon back home in New York City so we decided we would bring her to him for a second opinion.

A couple of weeks later, he confirmed she would need brain surgery BUT not to have a shunt placed. He was one of the few neurosurgeons in the country who could do a special operation that would alleviate the pressure without one.

Romans 8:28 is one of those scripture verses that gets thrown around a lot but boy, oh boy, was it crystal clear to me at that moment! God continued to show us how He was in control of even the tiniest detail.

As we were wheeling our daughter into the operating room, the anesthesiologist asked my husband what we did for a living. He told her that we were pastors. Her eyes widened and with a smile on her face, told us our daughter was in good hands. She said to Ellie, “So, you’re a PK huh?” indicating she knew that meant a “Pastor’s Kid.”

I like to call these moments, “God Winks.” Again, I breathed a prayer of gratitude.

So many were praying for us while we waited. Those hours she was in surgery were brutal. I clung to my Bible, reading every promise I could to stand against the fear trying to grip my heart. When the doctor came out to tell us the surgery was successful and she was going to be fine, I cried a river of tears. Grateful for miracles.

Giving God the Glory

Fast-forward ten years later, Ellie is an independent and adventurous artist living in NYC. Every year we say a prayer of gratitude when the memory pops up on our social media feeds. Yet, I am acutely aware of how we can forget it ever happened, taking for granted how blessed we truly are.

I’m reminded of the story of Jesus healing the 10 lepers (Luke 17:14-16). All were healed but only one returned to glorify God and fall to worship Him with a heart of gratitude.

Toward the end of the account, we find Jesus asking the very same question that I urge you to ponder today: “Where are the others? Could they not return and give glory to God?” (Luke 17:17-18).

Now that the New Year is upon us, I pray you find new hope when times get hard. I pray you find gratitude amid the difficulties. Look to God for solutions and peace while waiting and when you do receive an answer, be the one who returns and give thanks.

Meet Camille McIntyre

Where to find her . . .

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• Ebook

Begin Within is a series to inspire a year-round lifestyle of gratitude that will impact not only your own life, but the lives of your neighbors as well. Gratitude is a theme we talk about often around here because it ties so closely into other missional living rhythms. Practicing gratitude reminds to keep our hearts soft and expectant and our eyes open. Therefore, the more we embrace gratitude, the easier it becomes to truly see our neighbors and where we can join what God is already doing in our neighborhoods.

If you would like to contribute to Begin Within, you can find the submission guidelines here.

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If you would like to cultivate rhythms in addition to gratitude that will empower you live on mission in your neighborhood, check out Cultivating a Missional Life: A 30-Day Devotional to Gently Help You Open Your Heart, Home, and Life to Your Neighbors. This small book will help you make a big impact in your neighborhood as you learn to let missional living flow from the inside out. Get the 30-day missional living challenge free when you purchase the book.