Even when labor came, I hoped and I prayed.
I thought, "If I had the power to change things, I would do it in a second..." and in my powerlessness I prayed to God who could change it. Surely His compassion must be greater than my own.
But He said NO. And it is a very hard NO to take.
On weeks like this, it occurs to me that our faith must appear quite strange to those who do not share it.
A child given no medical hope was instead given our love.
Her mother gave her life, what she was allowed of it, and she filled all of our hearts until they broke open.
Her mother gave her life, what she was allowed of it, and she filled all of our hearts until they broke open.
And now, under the crushing weight of God's NO, under the severe power of God's sovereignty over life and death, we stand. With unanswered questions, and heart-rending complaints, with trembling lips and tears, we thank God for her short life, and we persist with this wild notion that our God loves us, that He is good.
That awful "NO" is still ringing in our ears, but it is not the only thing we hear.
It cuts through the noise and the pain, sometimes only faintly, but God's children hear it: Do not fear. I am making all things new.
We cling to God's YES in Jesus.
Rather, His YES clings to us,
and Jesus Himself holds us fast
when our hearts are broken open with sorrow.
Father welcomes all his children
to his family through his Son.
Father giving his salvation,
Thank you, Emily. You put into such beautiful words what I am so often feeling. And, more importantly, always remind me of God's promises and love.
ReplyDelete