My teenage daughter had oral surgery a few weeks ago. She had an impacted tooth that required extraction before it did damage to her other teeth or her sinuses. It had taken months to decide on a treatment plan. There were multiple orthodontist appointments, second opinions, and having to find a new oral surgeon in our insurance network after the first one quit. Then there was scheduling the surgery and rescheduling it after a hard-fought insurance battle (which meant I spent hours on the phone and cried more tears than my sensitive self cares to admit). It was, in a word, overwhelming.

Which is why, when surgery day arrived, it was such a relief. The wait was finally over. The surgeon said everything went according to plan. Success! No more insurance appeals or orthodontist check-ups! A long-awaited break from this girl’s dental drama.

I thought her recovery would be as seamless as her surgery, especially after everything we went through in the pre-procedure stage.

But her healing journey took me by surprise.

I learned very quickly that recovery is hard to navigate because you don’t fully know what to expect. Every person is different; every situation is unique. You can’t predict how long the pain will be present. You can’t determine when the healing process will be complete. And you can’t force someone to just get better.

I had thought through all of the preparations; I had made every healthy, soft food I could think of. I wrote a menu on a white board so she could pick from it easily. I tracked her water intake, Tylenol times, salt water rinses… and every day seemed so slow. I thought she’d bounce back to 100% after a couple days (like the nurses had told me).

So when she didn’t, when a week went by and she still wasn’t herself, the exhaustion and exasperation really started to set in. Her recovery became my full-time job.

We cancelled plans and simplified our schedule. I let go of trying to control her recovery. We persevered; we kept going. One day at a time. It’s all we could do.

Our #onewords for 2021 carried us – mine, trust; hers, resilient.

Over time she started to smile again; she got her laugh back. The day came when she could eat crunchy food again.

Her progress was a process. And I learned to be okay with that. As I sat beside her on the couch, I was reminded of Philippians 1:6, a verse I memorized years ago in Bible college –

“… being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

In the moment, it felt like her pain, swelling and discomfort would go on forever. But like all seasons, this one had an end. Even if we couldn’t see it then, it was coming. God was working, so I held on to hope that it wouldn’t always be like this. This road called recovery would lead us to another path, the next leg in our journey.

I want to encourage you today: God began a good work in you, and He will carry it on to completion. He will carry you. We haven’t arrived; we’re not perfect. And we’re not supposed to be. Not yet; not until Jesus returns.

Here are two other translations of Philippians 1:6 –

“There has never been the slightest doubt in my mind that the God who started this great work in you would keep at it and bring it to a flourishing finish on the very day Christ Jesus appears.” (The Message)

“And I am convinced and sure of this very thing, that He Who began a good work in you will continue until the day of Jesus Christ [right up to the time of His return], developing [that good work] and perfecting and bringing it to full completion in you.” (Amplified)

You’re on your way to a flourishing finish. Don’t give up. Don’t quit. Maybe you’re on a road to recovery right now. Maybe you’re on a healing journey. Maybe you’re on a path of peace. Or maybe you’re stuck in a storm.

I’m convinced that God started a good work in you, and I’m confident that He’ll finish what He started. He’s a compassionate Creator. A purposeful Potter. A merciful Mender. He will redeem what’s broken and restore what’s been stolen. He will make everything beautiful in His perfect timing, and He will turn it all to good.

Keep going. Fix your eyes on Jesus. Run the race He marked out for you. Receive His love and rest in His hands. He’s got this, and He’s got you.