Reason #529

An older couple came into the bank this morning. They finished up about 5 minutes until noon and began to slowly head out to their car, both with canes in hand. I waited until 12:00 to leave for lunch and as I was walking out, they had just made it to their parking spot a few feet from the front door. The older gentleman was having a hard time stepping down off the curb. I didn’t want to automatically assume he couldn’t do it and give him the chance to get himself into the car. I watched him for a few seconds and realized he wasn’t going to be able to take that step and was now in a predicament as he was fully leaning over on the car for support. His wife was trying to get over to him but having no luck either. So I turned around and went to help him. I held his frail arm and guided him off the curb and into his car. Of course no one likes their independence being challenged or removed, and so I tried to help as respectfully as possible. That way, no one got their pride hurt. Anyway, as I held on to his pale, thin arm I thought about the fact that probably 65 years ago he would have been the one helping instead of being helped. And probably about 90 years ago, this man would have been a small baby. A child with soft skin, peach fuzz hair, and cubby checks relying on someone else to help him into the car. Sometimes I forget that we all start out small, especially when you’ve only known someone as an adult. But we’re all born to mothers who made the choice to let us live. Mothers who birthed us, raised us, and mothers who ensured that we were fortunate enough to experience life on earth.

 

This is going to be a biblical post, and this might very well make you upset. This is also going to be an emotional post, so prepare. Because I like to write about the things that really happen, real life. I like to share the joys and the sorrows and hope that maybe it helps someone out too. If anything, at least maybe you don’t feel alone. At least you know you aren’t the only one who struggles and goes through hard times. And at least you know you aren’t the only one whose life isn’t perfect. So while some may think this a political stance, I think different. I’m not campaigning or convincing you of who is right and who is wrong. I’m just looking at God’s word, at what it says, and if you believe His word is truth that means you must believe every line of it versus picking out the lines you like. If you don’t believe His word is truth, then you should stop reading now because probably won’t like anything else I say. That’s okay. So before I even begin with this post, I just want to remind you that God is a God of redemption, forgiveness, and unfailing love. And if this is your story, if this hits home with you for one particular reason or not, remember those things about God and be thankful.

 

In May I shared with you about a big life-changing event that was going on in our family. My brother and his wife found out that they were expecting their first child after 2.5 years of trying. And this was a complete surprise as the odds were against them. My sister-in-law had been told that having a child naturally was going to be quite difficult. But they didn’t give up and didn’t lose faith and when we came home from our honeymoon, Aaron and  I found out we were going to have niece or nephew, whom I dubbed baby dot.

 

Yesterday morning, we found out that baby dot is going to be waiting on us in Heaven rather than joining us on earth. And as my heart sank for my brother and sister-in-law, the Lord reminded me of the words of a friend who experienced the same heartache a few months ago. She lost her third child and she said she realized that her baby was given life simply to praise the Lord. Her child was never going to experience pain or sadness. Her child was never going to struggle with sin and temptation or deal with the things of this world. But rather, all her child was going to know is Heaven. All her child was going to experience was the glory of God’s presence. Can you imagine a life like that? To never cry or be let down or have your heart smashed into pieces? To never have to deal with temptation or regret, fear or sorrow? To experience joy in its fullness and to be complete and whole before you ever had a chance to be broken?

 

Each year, millions of babies never take a breath of air. Their eyes never see day light and their lungs are never used. Their hearts beat for a short amount of time and they don’t get a chance to change the world. Sometimes we make that choice, and sometimes that choice is made for us. I don’t understand why a couple who wants a baby so desperately, who would love and take care of that baby, raise it right and give it a good life aren’t given the opportunity to have one. Yet millions of others who don’t want to accept those very responsibilities pass up the opportunity. Children are a gift from the Lord. Words from His own mouth. And although I’ve yet to receive such a gift, I pray that one day I will. But I’m thankful for a God who takes care of us from the moment our hearts start to beat until the moment they stop. And for His own children, it doesn’t even stop there. Before we were conceived our days were written out. Some of us were blessed with a whole lot of pages and some of us have short stories. But it doesn’t make one any less of a miracle than the other, and it doesn’t make one any more loved by God than the other.

 

And so even though it’s really hard and doesn’t seem quite fair, even though we have a hard time accepting it and understanding it, we praise Him for the miracle of baby dot and all the other babies that we didn’t get to know on this side of Heaven. And we praise Him even though the gift of children is really hard to come by sometimes. Because God’s miracles never stop. God’s plan is not fully known to us, and so we just trust Him. We trust that somehow, hearts’ desires will be met. We trust that in one way or another, blessings will fall. And we ask for unwavering faith. For faith that doesn’t give up when being knocked down but perseveres because it serves a God of forgiveness, redemption, and unfailing love.  

 

#529 - Because God's miracles never stop.

 

"You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it. You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered!" - Psalm 139:13-17