Some of you know that my daughter, Cori, has been treated for Scoliosis since she was two. Many of you have expressed surprise upon hearing this. Scoliosis is a curvature of the spine that is more common in early adolescents. Before Cori’s diagnosis, my knowledge of the disease was limited as I only knew a few people who had struggled with it, none of them so young. Treatment for my daughter’s condition began with a series of casts which she wore for seven months. Since then she has worn a brace.
Three and a half years later, the curve of Cori’s spine is getting progressively worse and requires surgery. At the end of this month, Cori will have growth rods placed in her back. These will be aided by a magnet and lengthened as she grows. We hope for healing and a straight back for her. We are in the early stages of a marathon that will take years.
The prophet Isaiah tells us in chapter 45, verse 2a: “I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight.” This word of hope is given to us that God will go ahead of us to make the crooked places straight. In Cori’s case, we literally ask God to guide her doctors so her spine is straight. For all of us though, living in this world of brokenness and sin, we are called to trust and faith in a God who takes the rough places and makes a plain.
To encourage you in your journey through these days, I invite you to take a few moments to reflect on the promise from the prophet Isaiah. What crookedness are you experiencing that needs to be made straight? Where is the roughness? The discord? The strife? Perhaps this is something present or it may be in the past. God in Christ Jesus is making you a level pathway. God, in Christ Jesus will take the messes in your life and you will be changed.
In and through every season, our Lord goes ahead of us to prepare the way. We are told that his yoke is easy and his burden is light. May the crookedness in your life be made smooth through the grace and mercy of our Lord. May you know that at the last, the jagged places that would separate you from God have been leveled through the sacrifice and resurrection of Jesus the Christ. Thanks be to God. Amen.
Pastor Kristin Ostercamp
