Thankful for Big and Perfect Plans...
After yesterday I think our bellies are just as full as our hearts…
I’ve spent a lot of time these past few weeks reflecting on all that we have to be thankful for this year, especially after all that we’ve gone through with Sage. Here are some of the biggest reasons we have to be thankful that come to mind:
Our family is home together & not divided by a hospital stay
We were able to take a family vacation together this summer
We’ve been to the zoo, football games, pumpkin patches, had matching Halloween costumes, & hung Baby’s First Christmas ornaments - all things we never knew would be possible before
Our families, friends, church families, therapists, doctors, & even those we don’t know that continue to pray for us
Our son is ALIVE, not blind, & continues to baffle medical professionals with all that he CAN do
We are actually sharing Sage’s testimony at church this coming Sunday as a part of our Thanksgiving services. We are so blessed that we are able to be a witness for what God has done & continues to do in all our lives!
As the momma who lives in her car taking Sage to & fro all over the state for therapies day after day, it can be hard to remain in a place of thankfulness. It sometimes feels much easier to sulk in complaining that he & I can’t just run to target or the gym together like Mara & I used to do. Or that he can’t do things that other almost 11 month olds can. On the days that are hard, that’s where my mind used to wander to…
But GOD. He sustains me when I am weak & his Holy Spirit convicts me on a daily, sometimes hourly, basis to remain thankful. To remain steadfast. To bear in mind that ultimately, even if it’s not in this lifetime, Sage WILL BE HEALED. That my family will remain intact because God promises eternity with him if we remain faithful.
“He said to them, “Because of your little faith. For truly I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, “Move from here to there,” & it will move, & nothing will be impossible for you.” Matthew 17:20
I was chatting with Sage’s Myofascial Release therapist earlier this week (as we always do) & she said something so profound to me that brought tears to my eyes. We always have the best Christ-centered conversations during Sage’s therapy sessions, but this one hit me square in the face.
I was telling her about how sometimes I feel like I take Sage to all of this therapy & I feel like I am disobeying God by trying to “fix” Sage or take control back into my own hands, although that’s never my intent. I told her that then I realize that that’s the devil whispering in my ear & that ultimately God wants us to steward our bodies well, & these different modalities of therapy is how I am doing that for Sage.
She agreed & then told me that she often thinks about what happens before we are born. That perhaps we have a conversation with God about what our life path will look like before we get here. She imagined Sage’s conversation with God went something like this:
God: “Sage - I have some BIG & perfect plans for you….It will be very hard. Much harder than most. But you will be strong & wise & be surrounded by so many that love you. And you will touch & change too many lives to count….
What a blessing. Sage HAS affected so many lives. Caused so many to PRAY. Jesus’ great commission to us all is to go & make disciples & be witnesses for God’s glory - how PERFECTLY has Sage done that already in his short life?! For THAT we are thankful.