The Legacy Series

A Heavenly Springs Series

Heavenly Springs

THE LEGACY SERIES: Consecutive Fiery Trials By Rosemary Schaumburg

September 15, 2012 by Christina

Today, I am so blessed and honored to share the next post in The Legacy Series at Heavenly Springs. Many of you are already familiar with Rosemary. Her little corner on the internet is called Rosemary At Home. Just a brief visit to her place will confirm that behind the screen is a woman of deep faith. Yet, what many may not be aware of is the rugged road this saint has quietly traveled. Her testimony will encourage you to trust the hand of Almighty God in the midst of all your sufferings and disappointments. Please join me in welcoming our dear sister, Rosemary Schaumburg…

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Those who have read my blog over the years know a little about my family and the circumstances that have been sent by God during our forty-three years of marriage. Without a doubt, the ones that have been the greatest sorrow and been the source of God’s deepest work were regarding our children. Each circumstance is a story on its own, but for this post I summarize them briefly.

  • While we were serving as missionaries to hippies in Nepal, our adoption of a Nepalese-Italian baby fell through because the birth mother changed her mind at the last moment.
  • Our first son was born with a significant disability that continues even now that he is a man.
  • Our daughter was born with a chromosome abnormality that caused her death two days later.
  • Although specialists had ‘promised’ it wouldn’t happen, our second son was born with physical problems that would necessitate more than twenty hospitalizations and numerous surgeries, being close to death three times.

1 Peter 4:12 says, “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you.”

I was not only surprised when these consecutive fiery trials happened; I was confused and furious, reeling with emotions. Something very strange had happened to us. We had heard of people whose child had died or had a disability, but their other children were healthy. Why were all our children so afflicted? Genetic testing proved that none of their anomalies were related. It was all “a fluke,” the specialists told us. I accused God of treating them harshly and abandoning us in our suffering.

When terrible things happen it’s not unusual that we raise our fist and question the goodness of God. We bring him into our court of judgment and declare him guilty of not living up to his promises. Trouble is, we’re basing our judgment on what we think he should be and do, not what God says about himself in the whole of Scripture. Even if we try to prove our point with Scripture, we isolate a verse and say, “See? He promised that, but he’s not doing it!” Then we vindicate our anger and distrust, something of which I was very guilty.

I also failed to see that the very circumstances that caused my desperation and hopelessness were exactly what God planned to use to peel away the layers of bad theology, self-pity and self-righteousness that I wore like armor. What I felt as brutal, he knew was good and loving, perfect for me. He would grant understanding that what happened to my children was not “a fluke,” but that every cell of their bodies was specifically planned by our wise and loving God, for their good and for his own glory.

In his great kindness and mercy, God exposed my false and dearly held beliefs so I could see the truth of who he really is—and who I am—in Scripture. I learned how inadequate and inaccurate my view of God was—a very painful revelation as it revealed my sin against him. I learned that my self-pity didn’t hold water; my self-righteousness was a stench. But oh, the joy that came when he brought me to the Cross of Christ in deep repentance and submission to his good and gracious sovereignty. When I saw our God, full of grace and truth, revealed through the substitutionary work of Jesus on our behalf, I could no longer doubt his goodness. When I saw how desperately I needed not so much to be comforted, but to be redeemed, I no longer felt mistreated by God. I wrote in my journal, He has won my heart, he has redeemed me, he has done battle for my soul! I felt lavished with his love. My children didn’t suffer as a result of nature gone awry; their bodies were skillfully and wonderfully made by the loving hand of God, with great purpose—for them, for my husband and me, for his own glory. The eyes of my hope are set, not on circumstances, but toward heaven. The comfort I had craved for so long, I find in Jesus.

Sorrow and disability last a lifetime, as does the suffering that accompanies them. As years pass, more trials come and test our faith. How faithfully God keeps us secure and gives strength through his Word to endure each of them! He has blessed us immeasurably with himself.

You have multiplied, O Lord my God,
your wondrous deeds and your thoughts toward us;
none can compare with you!
I will proclaim and tell them,
yet they are more than can be told.
Psalm 40:5

About the Author: Rosemary Schaumburg is a homebody at heart who enjoys all aspects of homekeeping except washing windows. During their forty-three years of marriage she has worked alongside her husband who is a biblical counselor and teacher. They currently make their home in Cedarburg, Wisconsin. She blogs at Rosemary At Home.

THE LEGACY SERIES: “Who’s in Charge? Learning to Trust the Sovereignty of God” by JoAnn Muterspaw

July 14, 2012 by Christina

Welcome!  This is the first post, of what will be an ongoing series here at Heavenly Springs. To learn more about The Legacy Series, and find out how to participate, click here.  Today I am honored to share this article, written by JoAnn Muterspaw. JoAnn is both a dear sister and a mother in the faith.  In this piece, JoAnn reminds us that afflictions are gifts from a loving Father who always has our spiritual good in mind.  Behind every hard and painful providence is a blessing. Please join me in welcoming, JoAnn Muterspaw. 

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In the good Providence of God, at the age of 35, the Lord ordered my steps to a PCA (Presbyterian Church in America) in Birmingham, Alabama.  It was here that God would call me to Himself.  He supernaturally created a hunger & thirst for His Word. It was in studying and coming to understand the Reformed doctrines that my knowledge and devotion to Christ was developed and nurtured. I certainly didn’t come from a Christian background and my salvation is proof that God will have mercy on whom He wants to have mercy (Romans 9:15). You see, my sins were as many as the sands on the seashore. There wasn’t a Godward desire in me. Tennis was the god I worshiped. I lived to play tennis 7 days a week. I loved it more than anything else in this world. But God, in His mercy, used a terrible hip injury to bring my world to a screeching halt.

This was the beginning of God doing a very deep work in my heart. That work continues to this day!  Many times our greatest progress and growth in grace happens through trials.  No one likes to acknowledge that because we like soft and easy things, but God uses troubles to sanctify us. Hebrews 12:10-11 says:

but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

The first storm that God would walk me through was my daughter’s below-the-knee amputation. As you can imagine, this was a hard thing for a mother to endure.  Though it was excruciatingly painful, today I can look back on this and say with all my heart that whatever my God ordained was good and right. You see, God brought me to this place of spiritual safety.  In fact, I will also tell you that not only did God hear every prayer that we uttered, God did exceedingly above what we prayed for. One of my greatest joys in life is being able to share, alongside my daughter, this testimony to other saints!

As God continued to work in my life it seemed like it was, literally, one trial after another.  In fact, I remember one of the deacons observing, “I have never seen anyone have as many trials as you have had at one time.” So many times, I found myself backed into a corner with nowhere to turn but Him.  Time after time, He proved Himself faithful! 2 Timothy 2:13 says that “if we are faithless, he remains faithful— for he cannot deny himself.”  Even when I could not see “the forest for the trees”, there were traces of His invisible hand and I knew that He was right there with me. Though the suffering was severe and many times I wondered why God permitted certain things to happen, I saw that out of the greatest affliction God was perfecting something eternal in my soul.

The biblical teachings of the Reformed church helped me see just how beautiful the Sovereignty of God is. Even the “bad things” that we will never understand and that feel so terrible at the time are all under God’s Divine control. In times of suffering and trial, God will bless the true Christian with a spiritual peace. This peace is greater and more valuable than any earthly treasure!

The last major trial I went through was colon cancer. Suddenly I found myself dealing with so many practical decisions.  What surgeon do I go to for the surgery? Which hospital? Decision after decision overwhelmed me. Once again, I saw Him leading me every step of the way and I saw how He was at work behind the scenes on my behalf. Today, I am almost 70 and I have been cancer free for almost 5 years!

Thomas Secker, a famous Puritan, once said,

God takes away the world, that the heart may cleave more to Him in sincerity.

Isn’t that the truth?

If you are going through a trial or hardship remember that sanctification is not an easy process but in the end it will yield something good. Trials are actually blessings from God designed to conform us into His Son’s image, the Lord Jesus Christ. (Romans 8: 28-29).  If you feel yourself growing weary remember that the One who started your faith is going to finish it! (Heb. 12:2) His Word will never fail!

Life’s great lessons are very long, and cannot be learned in a day; nor can they be learned easily. But at whatever cost, they are worth while. It is worth while for the gold to pass through the fire—to be made pure and clean. It is worth while for the gem to endure the hard processes necessary to prepare it for shining in its dazzling splendor. It is worth while for a Christian to submit to whatever severe discipline may be required—to bring out in him the likeness of the Master, and to fit him for noble living and serving.  – J.R. Miller

Soli Deo Gloria!

JoAnn Muterspaw

These are some verses that point to the Sovereignty of God. The Truth in these verses will help take your eyes off of yourself and your situation and put them where they belong, on God!

The LORD reigns; he is robed in majesty; the LORD is robed; he has put on strength as his belt. Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved. – Psalms 93:1

The LORD reigns, let the earth rejoice; let the many coastlands be glad! – Psalms 97:1

The LORD reigns; let the peoples tremble! He sits enthroned upon the cherubim; let the earth quake! – Psalms 99:1

About JoAnn:  JoAnn and her husband, Mike, live in Charlotte, North Carolina with their beloved Dachshund, Charity. In June, they celebrated their 50th Anniversary. They have two wonderful children, a son and a daughter.  They are members of First Reformed Presbyterian Church and each summer they enjoy attending the Ligonier Ministries Conference in Orlando, Florida.

Introducing “The Legacy Series”

July 11, 2012 by Christina

God has designed it so that in the body of Christ, every member, young or old, has an important part to play. Proverbs 20:29 says, “The glory of young men is their strength, but the splendor of old men is their gray hair.” In other words, the young among us have strength and energy, but the older saints possess life experience and wisdom. When I first became a Christian and started to attend church, God providentially placed a handful of older women around me. Their sincere love of God and their faithfulness to the church left a deep impression upon me. The seasoned saints in the body of Christ are gifts from God to those in covenant community. They have learned to trust in God’s providences; they testify of His great faithfulness in a way that the younger are yet learning.

Our very first entry in the series will run on Saturday, July 14th. You will read the testimony of a precious sister who learned to trust the sovereignty of God in the midst of hard trials. It will strengthen anyone trying to cope, by God’s grace, with the unthinkable.  If you are a born again believer, 65 and older, or you know someone who is, please feel free to email me at christinalangella@me.com to discuss potential participation!

Lastly, my friend Diane providentially posted a beautiful article on maturing in the grace of God a couple of days ago.  I encourage you to read “Growing Old Gracefully” as it very much complements the heart of this new series.

Please join us on Saturday to read the first post of “The Legacy Series”!

Recent Posts

  • THE LEGACY SERIES: Consecutive Fiery Trials By Rosemary Schaumburg
  • THE LEGACY SERIES: “Who’s in Charge? Learning to Trust the Sovereignty of God” by JoAnn Muterspaw
  • Introducing “The Legacy Series”

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