When I was a brand-new intern at Cox Family Medicine Residency in Springfield, Missouri, there was a medical emergency that occurred down in Labor & Delivery and it seemed like nothing went right.  The lights in the room didn't function properly.  The vacuum device didn't function properly. And it all happened so fast and I was so new to medicine that I didn't function properly either. Thankfully, the mother finally delivered a healthy baby, but I was really shaken up by the experience. It made me question my career choice, and even my faith.  

I shared this story recently with the school to illustrate that there come times in all our lives when we have doubts, and we question our calling. I used John the Baptist as an example of someone that you would not expect to have any doubts or any problems with his faith.  His birth was miraculous and foretold by an angel.  Before he was born he "jumped for joy" while he was still in the womb when Mary (pregnant with Jesus) came to visit Elizabeth.  He recognized Jesus immediately when he first saw him at the Jordan River and called him the Lamb of God who comes to take away the sins of the world (John 1:29).  

But after John was arrested and thrown into prison, he began to doubt, and he sent his followers to Jesus to ask him, "Are you the One who is to come, or should we be looking for another?" Matthew 11:3. 

"Blessed is the one who does not fall away on account of me."  --Jesus

Jesus knew we would run into hard times, we would have questions and we would have doubts. But we should also be able to see the work He is doing.  And we can be encouraged to hang on and trust Him even in the most difficult times. This passage has been a constant source of encouragement for me, and I hope it is for you as well. 

It has been a little while since I gave this message in French to the entire school.  I wanted to post it earlier so you could get a sense of the progress I am making, but it took me a while to work up the nerve.  I guess I am still a little self-conscious about how I sound.  I know most people reading this don't speak French, so it shouldn't matter to me.  I do want you to know how thankful we are for your prayers and encouragement as we head into the final months of language school before we finish in July.