I had to come to a place of trusting God that even though it looked like my life was falling apart,

you know, that horrendous things were happening around me, that really he was still in charge,

he was not surprised, you know, it's Christians him asking, do you trust me, do you trust me

with the present, that I've got this under control, and do you trust me with your future, you know,

that whatever's happening is not going to derail you forever.

Welcome to the Jesus Calling Podcast. Perhaps you've received some news recently that has thrown

you for a loop, someone you love or care about is sick or dying, or maybe someone close to you

is struggling with the darkness of mental illness, or maybe you yourself have had a health problem

or a devastating diagnosis. In this life, we can be reasonably sure that none of us will be

spared from suffering. How do we reckon our pain and suffering with a loving God who is supposed

to take care of us? There's a verse in 1 Peter that says, after you have suffered a little while,

the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore,

confirm, strengthen and establish you. Our guests have found comfort in the truth that God is a God

of healing and restoration, and that their suffering has produced endurance, strength, and

knit them together in compassion for others.

For this episode, we'll hear from Meg Aberson, a mother of four who advocates for her special

needs daughter, Avery, and Carly Green, a congenital heart disease survivor. Let's start with Meg's story.

My name is Meg Aberson. I'm married to my husband Cody and we have four kids, Maxson, Laura,

Avery, and Ryan, and I am a stay-at-home mom and a home educator. I am from North Carolina. I am

from a very large family. I'm number five of eight kids, and I knew I always wanted to be a mom

when I was a little kid. I wasn't dreaming about transforming or my wedding. I was thinking about,

you know, children and adopting children, so it was definitely in my heart to be a mom, and I thought

...