About a year after I had my daughter, my skin rebelled. Where once was smooth, unblemished skin, painful bumps and scabs now appeared. For two years I tried creams, foundations, low-dose antibiotics, and dietary restrictions. Nothing worked. Finally, my OB/GYN recommended I consider Accutane, and he referred me to a dermatologist. Reluctantly, I scheduled the appointment and began the lengthy process of isotretinoin treatment. “Most people see improvement by the end of the second month,” the nurse explained.
Two days ago, I went to the dermatologist for my two month check-up appointment. “I thought I’d see improvement by now. If anything, it seems my acne is worse,” I complained. She reassured me, “The medicine is working; you just have to be patient. The pain you’re experiencing is actually a sign of progress.” I left feeling more hopeful, despite the scabs covering my chin.
In a seemingly unrelated event, I prayed honestly to the Lord. “Lord, I don’t like this apartment.” You see, I normally avoid making such a statement in an effort not to complain. Today, however, I needed to convey my true feelings about where He’s placed me for the last year. I continued, “Still, Lord, I know that the same God Who moved me to my last house, moved me here. In life, there are just seasons of…”
I would have continued, implying this past year was a “low” in my life–that I should expect setups and drawbacks–but, the Holy Spirit interrupted my thought. “These are not seasons, Kaime. They are stepping-stones.”
I pondered what He could mean, then referenced the dictionary. Seasons are simply “a time characterized by a particular circumstance.” But, Webster’s defines stepping-stones as “a means of progress or advancement.”
The difference is crucial to my understanding of the circumstances I’ve so often struggled against. You see, in the last year, my family was plucked from the comforts of home in full belief that we would soon be somewhere better. Yet, a year later, we’re still in an apartment blocks away from our former home. It’s cramped, dark, and lacks aesthetic. By all appearances, we haven’t gone somewhere better, we’ve gone somewhere worse, and we’ve been here longer than we expected. But, in a single word, the Lord corrected my perception. Despite what I see or feel, real progress is being made.
The Word reflects this same point in the life of Joseph (Genesis 37). God had given him dreams that one day He’d rule over his jealous brothers. Yet, after that dream was planted in his heart, he was sold to live as a slave in a foreign land. By all appearances, Joseph was not ruling–if anything, he was debased further than he could have imagined. Yet, God had a plan, and Egypt meant advancement. Eventually, God worked all things together for Joseph’s good. (And the good of an entire Israeli nation.)
Y’all, I won’t pretend this message brings warm fuzzies, because it doesn’t. Still, it should spark hope that whatever promise God has given in His Word or spoken by His Spirit to you, He will and is performing. Yes, the middle can look messy, contradictory, and even painful. Nevertheless, we can rest in hope that the pain we’re experiencing is really the pain of progress—or, as I like to call it, the pain of Accutane.
With love,
Kaime
“We are assured and know that [God being a partner in their labor] all things work together and are [fitting into a plan] for good to and for those who love God and are called according to [His] design and purpose.”
Romans 8:28 (AMP)“But these things I plan won’t happen right away. Slowly, steadily, surely, the time approaches when the vision will be fulfilled. If it seems slow, do not despair, for these things will surely come to pass. Just be patient! They will not be overdue a single day!”
Habakkuk 2:3 (TLB)
