The difference He has made

For a class that I'm taking, I had to write briefly about something difficult that Jesus has helped me through in my life.  Figured I'd share it here too...

In 2008, my wife and I celebrated the seemingly normal birth of our second daughter, Reagan.  She was just as precious and as beautiful as her older sister and we were so glad to finally hold her and take her home to be a part of our family.  Six days after her birth, our world was turned upside down as we noticed her experiencing seizures in the middle of the night.  The next morning we were at the doctor’s office when she began having another seizure which led us immediately to the Emergency Room of our hospital.  Several days of testing produced no answers and we were left hoping for the best but expecting the worst.

We would eventually learn that Reagan suffered a brain injury sometime prior to being born, apparently as the result of oxygen not getting to her brain.  The result of that injury is that our daughter has not progressed normally along the developmental path of most children her age.  Today, at 4 years old, she can neither talk nor walk and is entirely dependent on her family to meet her most basic needs. 

In spite of all of the difficulties that our family has faced as a result of Reagan’s injury, the thing that overwhelmingly sticks out to me as I look back over the last four years is how God has again and again done good to us through this difficult situation.  For a while, I really wondered if I could live the rest of my life with a disabled daughter and not go crazy or lose faith in God’s goodness.  What has surprised me is the way in which my faith has actually grown stronger and how in many ways life has even become more worth living.  I have come to appreciate the uniqueness of life that I see in Reagan and in others who have similar struggles in life.  I have also come to enjoy the thought of heaven even more where I have the hope of seeing my daughter enjoy a new body and even more than that to experience the awesome presence of the God who created her and loves her.  I can’t wait to see her face when she sees Him face to face and He makes all of her struggles on earth turn into joy that will last forever!

Having Jesus to walk with me through this and probably more often, to carry me through the difficulties of life has made all of the difference to me.  Life isn’t easy and there will always be opportunities to give up and lose hope, but when we go through those times with a God who cares for and comforts us we often find great treasure even in the darkness.  If you are struggling because you are facing the difficulties of your life without His help, let me invite you to come near to Him today.  Take a minute right now and pray to Him asking Him to help you and to turn your difficulties into blessings, like he has done for me.  While you are at it, if you haven’t asked him to forgive you of your sins and invited Him to be your Lord and Savior, you might want to do that too.  I did, and it was the best thing that has ever happened to me.