Thoughts. . .

I wanted to update my blog with the excitement of another story of someone who thought it would be nearly impossible to get pregnant but she was believing God for a baby. My sister-in-law recently found out she was pregnant, and we are rejoicing with her! This is another miracle of life she has waited for the last several years. But, as I write this, my heart is heavy. In my post from December 5, I have a picture with my best friend from college, Lacey. Sadly, a couple of weeks ago, she lost her mom unexpectedly to an illness, and I know the family was hoping and believing for a miracle--and I doubt with no less faith than I had for my miracle baby. Last night I found out about the death of one of my sorority sisters--she died at age 30 from breast cancer they found after she delivered her 3rd child in October. I just read some of the blog her father has been writing, and it grieved me to read some of the same pleas for prayer and a miracle that we had received for Lacey's mom. In both cases, God chose to take these wonderful women to be in heaven with Him. I don't know why God gave me a miracle and chose not to work in these other miracles, and it's especially hard when you see how heartbroken your friends are knowing that God has the power to heal but it wasn't in His plan (although they trust His will and know He is still working powerfully through this). But then I stopped to think about how many miracles happen around us every day--although these losses are so painful, and we can't understand why our faith didn't bring healing, I was comforted to think that God still does miracles around us every day, and He honors us for our faith. Just like in the Old Testament--many had faith but never saw the Promised Land.
I look at my new baby (2 months old now) and I think how happy she is to be alive but it breaks my heart to know that bringing her into this world means that she, too, will probably endure heartbreak somehow in this life. But then I realized that what matters is our relationship with Jesus while we're here on earth. Yes, this life on earth can be painful (and it does have its joys and blessings), but we have been given the opportunity to know Jesus in spite of living here on earth. Ironically, that's what gets us through this heartache--and when we get to heaven as these women and others have gone before us, how much closer we draw to Him during this heartbreak will make it all worth it. Live expectantly for Heaven, and make sure you tell others how to get there, too. Jesus built the bridge between this earth with its heartbreak and the assurance of eternal life in heaven. What I've realized again these past couple of weeks is that none of us is immune to losing loved ones or guaranteed that we'll live a long healthy life, but we who know Jesus have hope in Him and comfort knowing without doubt that our loved ones who know Him are in Heaven.