Each of us go through different seasons in this life. Some are smooth, some are rather bumpy. Others are downright jolting. What’s your first reaction when you hit the bumps along life’s journey? Do you panic? Do you dig deep into your reserves? Do you reach for your safety net to fall into? Everyone responds differently—none being more right than the other. Sometimes our response is a reflection of our tank and how empty or full we currently are.
Recently we were living out of the Pediatric ICU with our medically complex daughter. It's become our "home away from home." Sometimes we find ourselves here unplanned, like when our son was overcome by sepsis and a bowel leak, coupled with a major UTI. Other times it's a planned and controlled crisis, like a scheduled bowel surgery. But this time was new for us. We came to this place to give our daughter a better way to breathe. We didn't come here lightly. Rather we weighed out every single factor over and over and over—and still over—again with every member of our team, for more than a year. We gave her time. We gave ourselves time.
Maybe you’ve found yourself in a similar place with your loved ones. Sometimes there are no easy answers to the dilemmas we find ourselves in as parents of special needs kids. We do our best with what we know, and trust God with all that we do not know. One thing you can be very certain of: Faithful Father knows everything you’re going through. He knows the fears you wrestle with. He knows the things you cannot speak out loud. He cares so very deeply for you, His child.
Eventually the scales tipped for us and we knew—IT WAS TIME. There were too many frantic moments while driving down the highway wondering if she'd "pull it together" or not with her airway. There were too many hours of laying around in bed—she breathed better that way—than being up with the family and enjoying the great outdoors, her favorite place to be. I'd done it all. I'd exhausted every single support we had at our disposal. And while I did my best to keep calm on the outside for the sake of our family and staff, inside I was literally crushed under the weight of this progressive diagnosis.
Just like a tracheostomy has given our daughter a more stable way to breathe, Faithful Father does the same for us. He is the very reason we have life. And He has a divine and unique purpose for each life He's created.
"The Spirit of God has made me; the breath of the Almighty gives me life." Job 33:4
These last couple of weeks have found me experiencing such deep peace. And while we have to learn a whole new way of doing things, at least now we have a way! This little girl moved into our lives over six years ago and has been instrumental in molding us into who we are today. She has taught us so much about what living really means. And though there have been some tears shed as we adjust to the new normal, there is deep deep joy. She has so much left to teach us.
There will no doubt be new challenges with the “new improved Joy”. And as we face those obstacles, we’ll need to do what we've always done when we face the unknown ... and that is cling to the One who is known!
I look at her from across the room in wonder, as I see her shining her light for the world to see, just as her Creator designed her to do. She's got just enough sass and persistence to keep everyone on their toes around here. Just as our girl learns to breathe again, so will we—thanking God for the breath He's giving us both.
"Let everything that has breath praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!" Psalm 150:6
Shelly Roberts and her husband have eight children: three biological and five adopted. The youngest three adopted children have significant disabilities. Follow Shelly on Facebook, or on her website Reaching Hearts with Hope.
