What do you do with a naked ferret? While I never dreamed of such a prospect, it is a very real possibility. Last week I happily concluded that by loving our ferret enough to limit her freedom, we assured her safety, happiness and well-being.
Despite all of our precautions and good intentions, our little Chloe is facing a crisis — a genetic predisposition to adrenal disease. This dread condition threatens to leave her looking like a naked mole rat. The condition is not caused by anything we have done, nor by our ferret's behavior; in fact, its cause is uncertain. What is for sure is that untreated Chloe will be hairless and shopping for a body wig.
In simple terms, adrenal disease involves tumors on the adrenal glands. Whether the tumors are malignant or benign, she also faces muscle loss, lethargy, weight loss, anemia and bone-marrow infections. As ominous as that sounds, the treatment can be equally grim.
The most recommended protocol is surgery to remove the affected gland. If it's the left gland we're in good shape, but if it is the right gland, we risk damaging a main abdominal vein which would likely be fatal. Worst case, it could be both. According to our vet, adrenal glands are not expendable like tonsils. They produce essential hormones, and living without them means a sort of daily hormone replacement. Hot flashes, mood swings and claws does not sound like a good combination.
So, my theory is met with a conundrum. While we have offered loving care to our precious girl, we have not insulated her from the possibility of disaster. Perplexing and frustrating, such a mystery pales in comparison to the confusion we feel when we find ourselves in equally helpless situations. What does that mean for my conclusion that when we put ourselves in God's hands, we will find He cares for us "with cords of human kindness, with ties of love; (He will) lift the yoke" of what burdens us? (Hosea 11:4)
Is that only true sometimes? Is it true when we get cancer or lose a child? When we face disaster, are rejected, our dreams lost, our health ruined or our reputation shattered? If, after we submit, obey and trust, the unthinkable still happens, does it mean He has withheld those cords of kindness and ties of love? Or even more frightening, does it mean God is not able to keep us from such harm?
As painful as that possibility seems, the alternative can frighten us more — that God has actually consented to the disaster we face. Could God's perfect love come wrapped in the guise of pain? Can we believe that His plan to bring us good gains momentum by passing through adversity? It is so much safer to our vision of "a good God" to believe He has no choice, than to hold Him accountable for allowing adversity.
Yet, God is not afraid of our recriminations. He does not wring his hands when we ask why, or duck the responsibility of our hard times. They are not events for which he makes excuses or is impotent to prevent. As hard as the truth is to accept, even when we are following and submitting faithfully to our Father, every difficult, tragic, disappointing, painful experience we endure has God's explicit consent — but why?
The philosopher Niche said, "That which does not destroy us makes us stronger." But God has proclaimed, "Nothing can destroy you."
Through our relationship with Jesus Christ, "We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves. We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed ... All of this is for your benefit. And as God's grace reaches more and more people, there will be great thanksgiving, and God will receive more and more glory. That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are small and won't last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!" 2 Corinthians 4
God is not powerless in our troubles, nor does he need to be exonerated. At His word, it is the trouble He lovingly permits that transforms cracked jars into glorious vessels.
