A Faith of a Child

There is something beautiful about the faith of a child. Waiting with their noses pressed on the panes of glass with their arms resting on the windowsill for their promise to pull into their drive. On Christmas morning, they rise early before the rising sun has dawned upon the frost kissed ground to see if their long expected gift had arrived. When in the darkness of night, no light shines upon the path in which they tread, they grasp the hands of their mother or father and trusts them to lead them to the safety of their front porch after a late night of shopping and errands or they simply cling with their arms tightly around the neck after a unsettling noise startles them in the night. Yesterday, I was able to share the glorious announcement that my stepfather’s cancer is in remission. Today, I read with sadness of a young seven year old girl who had been battling brain tumors for two years had gone to be with Jesus. I sat and looked out of the window at the sun rising to waken the landscape around me with life teeming beneath its rays. Why did God spare the one but take the other, I ask. I was glad he spared my stepfather for a little while longer, but couldn’t he have done the same for the little girl? As I reflected on the words of her mother as she took others along on their journey and opened up a window to their world and to let us share the emotions as she experiences them each day, a thought dawned upon me. God answered a prayer. She was ready to meet Jesus. She was tired of all the hospital visits and procedures. She was tired of all the pain she was enduring. It is so hard for us to fathom, for we do not walk in her shoes. Today, she is now in the presence of the Great Physician walking pain free down the streets of gold. There are no more procedures for her, just everyday praising. There is no more sorrow or sickness. Then another thought dawned. In the journey that had been shared with others, her life has touched hundreds if not thousands of people who have followed along with each step. As I read post after post after post, I got a glimpse of the emotions of people who have never met her but who had been truly inspired by what they read. This little girl and her parents whose faith never wavered through even the darkest of the stormy nights touched the lives of many people. Her life was not lived in vain. Through it all, God used her to encourage and to inspire many, including yours truly. As I reflected on her posts, there was one that stood out and I want to share it with you. It is in the words of her mother:

"I remember that Tuesday when she was being admitted into the hospital for the shunt placement surgery. We were in the admissions waiting area and she asked me why she had to be in the hospital. I gently explained to her the need for the shunt and treatment plan. She agreed with her sweet little nod as tears streamed down her precious, puffy decadron cheeks. "I am tired of all this. I'm ready for my life to be over. I'm ready to go home", my oldest child and only daughter shared with me. I so understood her homesickness.
 
I'm ready to go home, too. This earthly life isn't as appealing as it used to be. The past 2 years have been filled with MRIs, doctor's appts., IVs and such. She longs to go home and that's OK.
 
I think He's wooing her to Him. ~♡~ I'm glad He is her first love.
 
I still believe God performs miracles. Sometimes He chooses to deliver His children by taking away the thorn. Sometimes He delivers the miracle through the thorn. I think the miracle He's performing in my life is what He's doing in my heart. Perhaps the thing that He's doing that is far more abundantly than all that I can ask or think (as described in Ephesians 3:20) is the rooting of faith with a deeper understanding of His unfathomable love for us ~ it's a heart thing. He's bringing about an eternal perspective I don't think my hard-headed, stubborn self would learn any other way.
 
For this I am grateful."

Through her life, a mother’s faith was deepened. Today, a prayer was answered. Hopefully we as children of God also have that same child-like faith as that young girl. Faith, the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen as described by the author of Hebrews. Today, that hope and that unseen promise is a reality for young Lydia Byrd