Deep Thoughts with Jennifer

I get wrapped around the axle about the smallest things. I tend to focus on the here and now. I get stressed all the time. I lose perspective quite easily.

So, today's post is unusual for me. Bear with me while I explain.

We have been reading a book in church these last four weeks. It is The Family God Uses by Tom & Kim Blackaby. It has been a valuable study, a good reminder about raising a family that is grounded in the values of the Bible and a look at God's design and purpose of the family.

I admit though, I was pretty much going through the motions of the study, not thinking too hard about any of it. As usual, it takes a ton of bricks, to wake me up. Those bricks sure have a funny way of dropping at the most interesting of times.....

This is what I read "When God spares a child, it is for a reason". This is just one statement in an 180 page book, but I zeroed in on it. I started thinking about both of our children. I do believe both of our children have been spared by God, both should have probably died, but both are still here living happy lives. They are thriving in fact, despite their circumstances.

The book specifically mentions how Moses was saved from death when his mother hid him in a basket and floated him down the river, only to be found by the Pharaohs daughter. God protected Moses and he lived to lead Israel out of Egypt. I never thought about Francesca's experience being somewhat similar to Moses'. God took care of Francesca. He took her out of a circumstance in which she would have died and sent her where she needed to go to live. She is alive because of His protection. Think about this: We were living in a foreign third world country, we were almost not allowed to leave the country to go on R&R in the states. We flew out and about the same time Francesca was diagnosed with diabetes, Cote D'Ivoire was in the middle of a coup! Everyone had to stay in their homes under lock and key; there would have been no going out to the hospital with a sick child. She would probably have died if we'd have had to wait it out.

When we brought Carson to the hospital, he had an enormous white blood cell count (85% of which was cancer), almost no platelets, and no immune system. Yet he wasn't sick (apart from the cancer), he wasn't bleeding internally and no cancer cells had managed to migrate to his central nervous system. And now, SO FAR, we've had nothing but good news regarding his prognosis. Right now, his life has been spared.

And if I believe the author's statement about God sparing children for a reason, what is the reason my kids are walking around today??? What does God have planned for my children,??? How does he wish to use their lives to further his purpose? My kids may not grow up to lead countries, or be famous; but God has a plan to use them in some way. And, finally, what am I doing to make sure they grow up able to be used by God??

Serious business. The thing is, I should be asking those questions of myself with or without a brush with death. Something to think long and hard about for me. I need to focus on those questions above, maybe I won't get so stressed about small things, I won't lose my perspective. Axle?? What axle?

-Jennifer