Sunday, October 14, 2012

Day 19 -Boy or Girl? What Matters?

Repost - i love this way of thinking...
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by jessica

When I was pregnant with our little Eva, a family friend asked my husband Curt if he was looking forward to having a boy or a girl.
"Well, it doesn't really matter!"
She laughed and then said something that a person hears a lot when they are expecting:
"Yeah, i guess so. As long as the baby is healthy!"
Curt blurted out, "Actually, that doesn't really matter either."
She looked a little taken aback.  Curt tried to explain what he meant. "Well, i know what you mean but... We've had 6 children born to us so far. They were all "healthy" and "perfect". Seven years after our first son was born, he was diagnosed with epilepsy. At three, our daughter was diagnosed with a rare hormonal deficiency called diabetes insipidus, and then at 5, it was discovered that this original diagnosis was caused by a rare cancer-like disease growing on her pituitary. There are no guarantees in life, and although we don't want our children to be in pain, we know that even this present suffering can be "worked out" for good as we love and train our children in the middle of their suffering."  
When he got home that night, he brought up the conversation with me and how he had surprised himself with what he had blurted out. "But Jess, it's true."
Yeah, it is.
Why do we say those words... "As long as they are healthy?"
"As long as they are healthy..." what?
-then i'll be happy?
-then i'll be thankful?
-then i'll know that the pregnancy was "worth it"?
-then i'll know that they will have an easy life and not worry?
Not true.
If they are not healthy... then what? 
What will be lost?
Our joy?
Our faith?
Our love?
Our peace?
Our patience?
Our self control?
Our goodness?
Our kindness?
Our faithfulness?
...Jesus,
My children are in your hands.
I give them back to you.
With their strengths,
with their frailties....
as long as they remain in your love...
then I'll know that they have been *fully delivered*.


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2 comments:

  1. Thanks for being so open and honest. True stories sometimes catch others off guard, but that is where our hearts are at that time. I enjoyed the Tony Melendez concert this weekend and it was wonderful to see how well he plays guitar with his toes, since he was born without any arms. Some would say that he was not "healthy" at birth, however he just lives differently, doing with his toes what most of us do with our fingers. His focus is so positive because of what he can do and he sings about if he had arms he'd hug his wife and hold her hand and not let go. Maybe we can do a little more hugging and hand holding with our mates after his reminder not to take for granted the ablility to wrap your arms around someone you love, or even to hold hands. God bless you all and thank the Lord for arms and hands. Ruth

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