By Victoria Ostrosky
There’s an interesting line from my favorite show, The Chosen. Nicodemus and his wife, Zohara, were discussing the biblical story of Hagar, when she was abandoned in the desert and on the verge of death. She cried out to God, who saw her tears and helped her. Zohara said, “When we stumble onto hard roads, God finds us and comforts us.” To which Nicodemus replied, “and maybe He calls us to them.”
We tend to go through life in reaction mode when things happen that we don’t ask for or want. But Nicodemus makes an interesting point. As believers, there are times God calls us to walk hard roads.
Jerry and Karen Chambers have been married for almost 45 years. They met at Spring Break and discovered they had actually grown up in the same community in Columbus, Ohio. They got married, had children, worked hard and moved around as their careers advanced. Sixteen years ago, Jerry got into private Christian education and private consulting. He moved his family to the Destin area, thinking he was coming here to retire. But God had another plan, and Jerry is now the head of school at Gateway Academy.
In 2019, Jerry and Karen were still living in Orlando. Karen wasn’t feeling well one day, and went to the ER. They took her in for immediate surgery, and she afterwards listened to the dreaded diagnosis – colon cancer. A second surgery followed. “God was with us the whole time, helping us get through it.” Karen’s faith has always been strong, but this caused her and Jerry to lean into God more and more. Karen recounts, “We began to pray together every morning, doing devotions together, and our faith grew.”
They moved to Destin to be near their daughter and grandchildren. Life was good, and in 2022 a routine scan revealed the cancer had come back as stage 4. Karen endured 8 rounds of chemo and 4 surgeries.
“God got our attention in a big way. We’ve been closer to Him and have really dug deep into the Word. God has given us peace and healing in all of this.”
For both Karen and Jerry, they recognize how important their church family’s support has been. The faculty and staff at the Academy prayed over them and laid hands on Karen. As Karen says, “It did much to keep our spirits up.”
When our Heavenly Father calls us to walk hard roads, He also gives us others to help carry our burden. Jesus’ much-loved words – “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest,” couples well with another of His famous lines – “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
The Apostle Paul in Galatians also speaks to this when he penned the words – “bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” God has made us to live in a community. He also made us to commune and walk with Him. When we lift each other up in prayer, and meet each other’s physical and emotional needs, we are doing exactly what Jesus told us to do as His followers.
Someone asked Karen how she manages her fear. “I believe deeply in the power of prayer, and God has given us a deep peace. We’ve relied on God the whole way.” A friend asked Karen to look for ways to bless others along her journey. “A nurse, or doctor, or other patient – look for ways to encourage others.”
And there you have Jesus’ commandment to love your neighbor as yourself coming full circle. When we give of ourselves to those in need, that one we’ve ministered to, can then reach out and give of ourselves to someone else. One act of faith and love toward another can set in motion a chain reaction that keeps moving forward and expanding.
God gave Jerry a word for the year – rest. “My whole life I’ve always over-achieved and enjoyed success. Now, I’ve learned to rest and take time and enjoy my family. God has given us great peace.”
Karen’s advice to anyone walking a hard road is, “Keep your faith. Focus on the eternal, not the physical. Know that God will use you until your last breath.”
You can hear Jerry and Karen’s entire story and listen to many other incredible interviews on the weekly Road to Redemption radio show and podcast at www.rtrdestiny.com.
Author: SoWal Admin
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