Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him (James 1:12).

Please take a moment to read this week’s entire passage! NIV

Please take a moment to read this week’s entire passage! MSG

This morning I was drawn to this story in my news feed: A college valedictorian with nonspeaking autism urged her fellow graduates to “use your voice” in a powerful speech. “God gave you a voice. Use it,” valedictorian Elizabeth Bonker told the class of 2022 at Rollins College.

I caught my breath. I knew that name.

My path crossed Elizabeth’s when I began attending the small church where her family had been loved on for years. They needed that love because their delightful little girl had—at 15 months—lost her ability to speak. So began their long, painful, wearing quest to understand and to help Elizabeth.  

Seeing Elizabeth give that speech—via text-to-speech technology—was seeing the impact of God’s good work carried out through one loved child, her persevering mother, and scores of caring people—all learning to integrate their faith with their lives.  

If you read Elizabeth and her mother Virginia’s book I Am In Here, see their TED Talk or YouTube videos, you will recognize the relationship the two had was the foundation and sustaining of God’s good work on Elizabeth’s behalf. (Dad was pivotal, too, of course, but there was a household to run and two other loved children in the family who also required attention.)

Their relationship has helped me see what James may be saying about the integration of faith and life.

Elizabeth desperately wanted to communicate because she was intelligent and had lots to say. In her frustration with not being able to talk, she hit herself or flailed about.  Others assumed someone who couldn’t talk and acted out as she did was not intelligent. In reality, though, during this time she was beginning to integrate her faith and life. 

With a little self-reflection, each of us can recognize ways we, too, struggle with our trials—how we, too, get frustrated, overwhelmed, disheartened, and sense we’re being ostracized. Yet, we, too, can actually be integrating our faith and life through it all.   

To experience that faith/ life integration, like Elizabeth we need a Mother/Father. Like her, we need God. God, then, because He loves us like a Mother/Father, sticks by us. He motivates us. He motivates others to believe and pray, to diagnose, educate, befriend, and carry out His will on our behalf. 

By the time we are equipped to “give our graduation speech,” in His eyes we will be valedictorians in the one goal He most values--we will have persevered in our relationship formed with Him through it all. Our life and faith will be integrated. 

Prayerfully write a description of a trial you are facing. 

Now write a version of this: “Father, I choose to trust You in this trial, believing You are using it to awaken me more and more to Your faithful love for me and equipping me to love others on Your behalf.”

Addendum to Through It All

Yeah, I know it is weird for me to comment on my own piece.

But that follow-up I suggested? I did it, too. 

Which is when I knew it wasn’t “my” follow-up, but God’s. Because after I thoroughly described my trial, and then wrote and prayed the prayer, I began writing my thanks for all the many ways God has shown His faithfulness already re. my trial. 

So I wrote those, and when I finished I faced and embraced the truth— “It’s all about You. All of it. Meaning it’s all worth it—worth the struggle, the stress, the tears. Because they break us open to our bottomless need for You—Your endless Love. And, lo and behold, there You are. Right where You’ve always been but now I /we have eyes to see, a heart to Know…made so by trial. Selah (pause and calmly think on that).”