Blessed Be Your Name
As I sit here writing this, with tears streaming down my face, I can’t help but think about the enormity of God’s grace and the full breadth of His sovereignty over everything.
I have been on two text strings today. One to celebrate the birth of a miracle child. The other, to get updates on the open heart surgery of another. Two different lives. Two different families. Two different stories that God is writing at the same time.
In both circumstances God’s miraculous hand can be seen. One mother was told last year that she was infertile and would not be able to have children. And yet, she sits in a hospital room tonight holding a child of promise-a healthy beautiful baby girl. The other mother sits in a hospital too. It will be a long night waiting for her 3 month old baby girl to go into open heart surgery. Both precious little girls were miracles from the start. Both stories collide tonight as two families sit in hospital rooms soaking in the moments.
Joy and sorrow intertwined. Small break throughs flowing through each story. Tears shed over it all.
“Those who know your name trust you because you have not abandoned any who seek you, Lord.”
~Psalm 9:10
As I read and reply to both text strings, I see God’s hand at work. He is over all, through all, and in all. I can see that He is so much closer to people than they realize. He is Emmanuel-God with us. He isn’t far away, or uninterested, or too busy. He is very much overseeing every detail. He is full of love, compassion, mercy, and grace for His daughters. He is in the depths with us and on the mountain tops too. He is breaking our hearts free into brokenness. He is building a beautiful tapestry piece by piece with every piece of our story.
Months before this night, in a cold, dry unfeeling diagnosis, a doctor spoke “infertile” over one mother. During a routine prenatal examine another was handed the news that her daughter would be born with a heart defect that would require open-heart surgery in just the first few months after her birth. As they both accepted their news, they also determined to trust God in the process. Both prayed and trusted. And both called on their people to do the same.
Miracles upon miracles. Breakthroughs followed by more breakthroughs. Maybe answers did come right away or all at once, but each step ordered by the Lord. Each journey ordained by Him.
And he said, “Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.” ~Job 1:21