Reason #637
Here's the thing about life. Either you're in a trial, or you know someone who is, right? Your heart can be busting at the seams with joy while someone else's is breaking to pieces. And the truth is, this change usually happens in a day. We find out we're sick, we lose someone we love, we get fired, we are abandoned. We meet someone special, we get a new house, we get a pay raise, find out a baby is on the way. These things happen in a day. Your life can dramatically change in a day.
I spend a few minutes scrolling through Facebook every night to get an update on my friend's lives. I like to see who is where, who is dating who, what everyone's babies look like, and what's going on in their lives. People are so transparent on Facebook, but truth be told it's a lot easier to be bold behind a computer screen. Anyway, Facebook can be a really powerful instrument, for good and for bad. But tonight I saw an update on this really adorable little family who is going through a lot of difficulties with their first baby. They knew their little girl was going to be born with a heart defect and they've been going through a lot over the past couple of months. I don't know these people personally, but I know a lot of people who know them and so through my Facebook stalking, I feel like I kind of know them. And my heart really hurt tonight as I looked at this picture of a really young, beautiful mother holding her tiny baby. I can't even imagine what that feels like. I can't imagine the fear that is racing through her mind or the ache of her heart. I have no idea what she and her husband are going through, and I really hate it for them. I just want God to do something really big and miraculous, and there's no doubt in my mind that He can. There is absolutely nothing too big for our God, and the fact of it is that the Lord can dramatically change our lives in a day, too.
I remember getting a message from a girl about a year and half ago stating that she had heard what I was going through and she said something along the lines of "when you were experiencing your biggest heartache, I was experiencing my biggest joy." That's how I felt as I thought about this family tonight, about what they've been through. I thought about how unfair it seems. I thought about how many people have perfectly healthy babies that really don't even want to be parents, yet people who desire to be parents either can't have a baby or end up walking through really stressful situations with their children. It doesn't make sense. Yet I look at this family and I see how they are bringing so much glory to God's name. How they are being an incredible testimony of who God is, of what authentic faith looks like. Because authentic faith cries, but authentic faith doesn't give up. Authentic faith still believes in God's bigger plan even if it doesn't seem to be playing out as imagined. Authentic faith trusts even when the odds are against it. And authentic faith hurts, but it always runs to the Healer.
Here I go with Job reference again, but there's a reason Job ended up in the bible. Job had authentic faith. It was real, and there's no question about it. And we see that God allowed such things to happen to Job not because He was mad at Job or punishing him. No, God allowed these things to happen because He knew that Job would bring the most glory to God's name, and that is what pleases God the most.
God cares for us so, so much. His love for us is more than we can fathom. And authentic faith doesn't mean that everything will work out for you. It doesn't mean that life will be fair to you and that nothing will go wrong. Authentic faith means that you're secure no matter what. Authentic faith means that you won't be overcome by the heartache, sorrow, and disappointments of this world. Because authentic faith produces hope. Hope for better things, hope for a bigger plan. Hope because even when the darkness is completely surrounding us, even when our tears won't stop, when we can't eat, when our bodies are exhausted, and our brains can't think straight, He is still holding us in His hands.
I don't know what God is going to do. I don't know how He will heal this sweet baby, but I know He will. And the beauty of it is that this little life has been such a testimony for the Lord since she entered this world. A perfect picture of perseverance, of hope, of unconditional love, and of great faith. And so God will continue to work and move, like He already has. Doing mighty things and using this family to bring glory to His name. And I know that they have been so pleasing to Him.
#637 - Because He can change our lives in a day.
"My heart is confident in you, O God; my heart is confident. No wonder I can sing your praises!" - Psalm 57:7
I spend a few minutes scrolling through Facebook every night to get an update on my friend's lives. I like to see who is where, who is dating who, what everyone's babies look like, and what's going on in their lives. People are so transparent on Facebook, but truth be told it's a lot easier to be bold behind a computer screen. Anyway, Facebook can be a really powerful instrument, for good and for bad. But tonight I saw an update on this really adorable little family who is going through a lot of difficulties with their first baby. They knew their little girl was going to be born with a heart defect and they've been going through a lot over the past couple of months. I don't know these people personally, but I know a lot of people who know them and so through my Facebook stalking, I feel like I kind of know them. And my heart really hurt tonight as I looked at this picture of a really young, beautiful mother holding her tiny baby. I can't even imagine what that feels like. I can't imagine the fear that is racing through her mind or the ache of her heart. I have no idea what she and her husband are going through, and I really hate it for them. I just want God to do something really big and miraculous, and there's no doubt in my mind that He can. There is absolutely nothing too big for our God, and the fact of it is that the Lord can dramatically change our lives in a day, too.
I remember getting a message from a girl about a year and half ago stating that she had heard what I was going through and she said something along the lines of "when you were experiencing your biggest heartache, I was experiencing my biggest joy." That's how I felt as I thought about this family tonight, about what they've been through. I thought about how unfair it seems. I thought about how many people have perfectly healthy babies that really don't even want to be parents, yet people who desire to be parents either can't have a baby or end up walking through really stressful situations with their children. It doesn't make sense. Yet I look at this family and I see how they are bringing so much glory to God's name. How they are being an incredible testimony of who God is, of what authentic faith looks like. Because authentic faith cries, but authentic faith doesn't give up. Authentic faith still believes in God's bigger plan even if it doesn't seem to be playing out as imagined. Authentic faith trusts even when the odds are against it. And authentic faith hurts, but it always runs to the Healer.
Here I go with Job reference again, but there's a reason Job ended up in the bible. Job had authentic faith. It was real, and there's no question about it. And we see that God allowed such things to happen to Job not because He was mad at Job or punishing him. No, God allowed these things to happen because He knew that Job would bring the most glory to God's name, and that is what pleases God the most.
God cares for us so, so much. His love for us is more than we can fathom. And authentic faith doesn't mean that everything will work out for you. It doesn't mean that life will be fair to you and that nothing will go wrong. Authentic faith means that you're secure no matter what. Authentic faith means that you won't be overcome by the heartache, sorrow, and disappointments of this world. Because authentic faith produces hope. Hope for better things, hope for a bigger plan. Hope because even when the darkness is completely surrounding us, even when our tears won't stop, when we can't eat, when our bodies are exhausted, and our brains can't think straight, He is still holding us in His hands.
I don't know what God is going to do. I don't know how He will heal this sweet baby, but I know He will. And the beauty of it is that this little life has been such a testimony for the Lord since she entered this world. A perfect picture of perseverance, of hope, of unconditional love, and of great faith. And so God will continue to work and move, like He already has. Doing mighty things and using this family to bring glory to His name. And I know that they have been so pleasing to Him.
#637 - Because He can change our lives in a day.
"My heart is confident in you, O God; my heart is confident. No wonder I can sing your praises!" - Psalm 57:7
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