Little C continues to make progress, and it is so encouraging to see her developing and growing! For those who don’t know, C is my daughter—a medically complex little girl who has already pushed through more challenges in her young life than most will face in a lifetime. God continues to do miracles; but perhaps the greatest one is how she touches the hearts of so many people around her.
Recently, someone observed that perhaps because she is not yet able to use many words, her other senses are actually sharper. We teach children to “use your words” to express emotions, but since she cannot yet do that, she uses her full body. If you’ve ever gotten a hug from her, you know exactly what this looks like. If you’ve been on the receiving end of her spotting you across the room and running full-speed to launch herself into your arms—like Mr. Steve from our church gets regularly—you know. I can’t tell you how many times she has reached out at the grocery store and held the hand of a complete stranger, offering her full-face smile along with it. Many times, that person has said something like, “You don’t know how much I needed that today. You are so blessed to have her!”
And they are right. She is a blessing.
Like many parents of medically complex children, I’ve wrestled with deep, specific fears about the present and the future—fears that are unique to her particular challenges. But this morning, I read something that stopped me and called me to take a step back:
“As Christians, there are no promises that our worst fears won’t come true. Sometimes they do, but even then, God remains our unfailing hope. Cancer can come against us, yet by God’s power, it will not win in the end. Financial crises can come against us, yet by God’s power, we can move forward. Disillusionment and doubt can come against us, yet by God’s power, they won’t have the last word. If we believe we have a choice to trust God instead of fear, then how will choosing to trust cause us to live?”
~Get Out of Your Head:Stopping the Spiral of Toxic Thought Out of Your Head by Jennie Allen
There is an active, relentless battle going on for our minds. The enemy wants us distracted, discouraged, overwhelmed, and completely unfocused on our Divine purpose. But we were each designed by a loving God Who has a rich, specific, and fulfilling plan for each of our lives—even when our circumstances look, in the eyes of the experts, like a total wreck.
As a registered nurse, I genuinely love a good expert opinion and am not dismissing the wisdom of medicine. But through this particular season, God is teaching me to trust Him—even when it doesn’t work out on paper. I am so deeply thankful for the faithful people in my life who trust God first and foremost, and who have continued to encourage me to trust Him to protect and provide for this sweet little girl. The Apostle Paul—who knew suffering far beyond what most of us will ever face—wrote these words from a prison cell:
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6–7
Be anxious for nothing. Not for the diagnosis. Not for the unknown future. Not for the gap between what we hoped for and what we are actually living. In every raw, exhausting, frightening, beautiful thing—bring it to God with thanksgiving, and He promises us a peace that doesn’t make sense by the world’s standards. A peace that guards like a sentinel posted at the door of your heart and mind.
Perhaps this morning, you woke up to a life that looks nothing like what you planned or hoped for. Perhaps you are standing in the wreckage of broken dreams and wondering what the point of any of it is. My friend, you are not alone in this struggle. Please don’t isolate yourself.
In the darkest days of my life, when I couldn’t find the words to pray, I’ve called close friends and family and asked them to lend me their faith and their prayers. There is no shame in that—that is the body of Christ doing exactly what it was meant to do. This is the church, and we are commanded to “bear one another’s burdens.” (Galatians 6:2) If you don’t yet have that community, I want to encourage you to find a local church and plant yourself there. Not a perfect church—there is no such thing; but one with real people who will show up for you in the hard seasons. And a people who you will have the privilege of engaging in spiritual warfare with. Be that person. We are all in the battle for the souls of people and we were never meant to fight alone.
C doesn’t need words to tell you she loves you. She’ll show you with her whole self. And that is exactly what God is showing me through her—that His love for us is not theoretical or distant. It is full-bodied, full-faced, running-across-the-room towards us, love.
God does loves us and we are commanded to love each other!
Prayer: Father, I confess that my mind has been a battleground—that I have let anxiety about the unknown crowd out my confidence in You. Forgive me for that. You are not a God who abandons His children in hard places. You are present, You are powerful, and You are working even in what I cannot see or understand. Teach me to bring every fear, every unanswered question, every gap between my hopes and my reality—and lay it all at Your feet with thanksgiving. Guard my heart and my mind with that peace that makes no earthly sense. And as You steady me, Lord, turn me outward. Help me to plant myself deeper in my local church—to show up, to stay, and to become the kind of person others can run to in their hardest moments. May I be a reminder to someone today that they are not alone. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
My name is Grace and I am a born-again believer, author, singer, and ER nurse. I’m also the mother to a beautiful, medically complex child who teaches me daily about resilience, grace, and the power of God’s love.
My life is committed to sharing God’s Word and walking in obedience to Him. Whether I’m writing, singing, caring for others, or navigating motherhood, I strive to reflect Christ in everything I do. My recent journey has been anything but easy, but through every challenge, God has proven Himself faithful, and it’s a blessing to share that faithfulness with others.
