Tuesday morning at 2:11 a.m. our friends’ baby took one last breath and slipped into the hands of Jesus. Gentle, healing hands much bigger than ours.
Her parents have known for six months as she fought to grow in her mama’s tummy, that short of a miracle, her breaths would be few, if at all.
Every time the doctors asked if they wanted to abort, they gently said “No”, grateful when the question stopped coming. They are strong. They cling to Jesus.
With a good idea of what was ahead, they read with faith and heartache, “I knit you together in your mother’s womb. You are fearfully and wonderfully made.” But she was.
Sunday, September 29th, baby Sylvia Faith was born, alive. Cherished. Cuddled. Prayed over.
I wasn’t here to meet her. I went to a worship service in Washington D.C. and prayed as I sang “I’m running to Your arms, I’m running to your arms, the riches of Your love, will always be enough…”
Be enough Lord, be enough for them.
The pastor read, “He who began a good work in you, will be faithful to complete it until the day of Christ Jesus” My mind spun.
I couldn’t possibly understand what my friends were experiencing in the hospital after their precious baby was born. Were they gasping? Inhaling grace and trust in You like oxygen while Faith tried to breathe also?
What does faithfulness, and God’s good work look like today? Now when arms are empty and loss is heavy?
It’s God’s work, not ours. Grace.
Began, not “finished already”. We’re a work in process.
A good work, not an easy or comfortable one.
In you. Not your adequacy, but God’s.
He is faithful.
He finishes what He begins.
Until the day of Christ Jesus.
I can write those words. I can read those words. But until they’re tattooed on my heart it’s a foreign language I don’t understand.
What is the work that God will be faithful to complete? The work of restoring our broken world? Making wrong things right again? Buying back that which has been stolen?
If that’s God’s work, what is ours? Sometimes resting in Him, just crying in His arms and trusting Him to do the heavy lifting is the toughest work of all.
Trusting that what is wrong will be set right, we open our arms to hold our friends, and together we wait for that day.
God is good. God is faithful. But He isn’t easy. For today, this is all I know.
Faith is beautiful. And now she is healthy in the arms of the One who created her. May God incredibly bless her mama, daddy, and family.
Amen. James and Anna know Jesus and trust Him deeply.