Undeniably God

Reflecting on how we got to this point in our lives, everything has been so divine. God has definitely set Keegan and I apart to do something – and I have a feeling I know what it is.

By happenstance, when Keegan was in Year 5, his Mum, took home an unwanted autobiographical book from a neighbour’s house to fuel Keegan’s passion for reading. Remarkably, this book directed the course of Keegan’s life and sparked a passion that would eventually lead him down this path to neurosurgery. The book was called “Gifted Hands” by Ben Carson – a Christian neurosurgeon. It is Ben’s life story, his passion for medicine that called out the gift that God had planted in Keegan’s heart.

In the last few years, having made it through medical school and after his first internship rotation in Neurosurgery, Keegan had decided to pursue Orthopaedics instead. There were a few reasons for this, but one that resonates with me is that Orthopaedics would definitely give us more time together with our family and to serve at church. Our lives would not be as heavily dictated by his work as it would be if he were in Neurosurgery. In addition to this, from Keegan’s perspective, it was also more rewarding to do Orthopaedics given the higher success rate and therefore satisfaction from his job. But, as we were soon to find out, God would very loudly direct our steps back towards the ‘harder’, narrower path for a distinct purpose. Fast-forward 15 years later and Keegan’s life verse Proverbs 16:9 sends ripples down my spine.

Not everyone has as direct a calling and purpose in life as evidenced in Keegan’s life, but I am confident that everyone’s time on earth has a divine or unique purpose.  This is why I have chosen to write about mine– I feel strongly that God is starting to move in us at a rapid pace. I know these entries will be a blessing, if not, only for me, so that I may return to these years down the track and see the promises and purposes of God and give Him more glory. We don’t usually see God’s hand at work unless we look back at our own lives. I have been writing about Keegan’s life so far because I know our stories are intertwined. My own path is currently not as clear as Keegan’s but I write with confidence that God is about to restore that in my mind this year.

In light of Proverbs 16:9, I want to share with you what I feel God has purposed in our hearts and I can’t wait to read this back in 20 years time, 2035, to see how this plan plays out. For now, this is what I ‘know’: Keegan and I will set up a hospital/educational centre somewhere in need. We will both pass on our skills and knowledge, in medicine and education, to the local people so that they can be self sufficient. Our prayer is that this will be a blessing to this community (wherever you are, we are thinking of you) for generations to come.

I write this in faith, hoping in the future, confident that God is at work, nervous that I will not be good enough to fulfil his plans, but comforted by the fact that I don’t need to be. God will make up for all that I lack: The Lord is my shepherd I shall not be in want.

Lesson #2: A man plans his way, but the LORD directs his steps (Proverbs 16:9).