And he said, The things which are impossible with men are possible with God. —Luke 18:27 (kjv)
One of the scariest times for my family was awaiting the birth of my niece Kenedy. As it became clear that the pregnancy was incredibly dangerous for both mother and daughter, fear crept in. I would worry while I crocheted her blanket; I called every available minute for updates (even when I knew there were none); I stressed out every time I lost cell service underground on the subway.
I received some particularly bad news in a phone conversation with my brother. “The doctors said that there’s very little chance the baby will survive, but it’s not up to them. It’s up to God.”
This jolted me. I’d been stressing about something I couldn’t control instead of talking with God about what He could do. I began to focus on prayers instead of worry, and claim the victory instead of assuming the worst. I silenced my doubting Thomas and worked on strengthening my faith. I prayed earnestly and directly to God. I was able to release the knot that had developed in my shoulders and then provide real support to my brother.
Before her birth, Kenedy was already giving me one of the greatest lessons I’ve ever been taught.
