Jubilee Hope - Couldn't Be A More Perfect Name

No doubt this weekend has been a first for us. It has brought us closer (in our marriage and also in our walk with Christ) in ways I cannot describe. To see your best friends go through the unimaginable will bring you back to reality and what's important in life quicker then the crack of a lightning bolt. 

It's been an amazing and eye opening experience to be alongside our friends as their 3-month-old daughter fought the good fight. No parent should have to bury their child, especially at such a young and fragile age. No parent should endure multiple 911 calls, ambulance rides, CPR sessions and flat lining with their infant. But alas, my friends did. They have endured the pain of their daughter's disorder day in and day out for the last 6 weeks. Everyday started with the question if this would be her last. Everyday they prayed for her, loved on her, talked to her, smiled at her, sang to her, kissed on her and told her in more ways then just their voice that they loved her more then words could describe. There is no doubt she knew God's love for her through her parent's actions. There is no doubt that Jesus has used her story to bring people all over the country (even us) closer to Christ. There is no doubt that this baby girl was born with greater purpose then we could ever imagine and will ever understand. 

This weekend we were blessed to be with our friends across the country as they celebrated the short but highly impactful life of their 3-month-old daughter. 

I distinctly remember the day they told us they were expecting their third child. We were hanging out on the court after class at the gym. So giddy and excited to share the good news we were smiling from ear to ear knowing they had wanted this child so badly. But your life can change in the blink of an eye. Having no idea they were both carriers of a genetic disorder, the news of their daughter’s future was devastating. 

But the story doesn't end there. There are many ways they could have reacted; there are many ways they could have handled their new lifestyle. After the initial shock and mental/emotional processing, they decided to give their child joy. Instead of being bitter, upset, angry and revengeful, they chose to spend their limited days thanking God for her and the opportunity to spend as much time with their daughter as possible. 

Our friends have inspired us, and many others, in ways that can only come from God. We are so thankful to call them friends. It's amazing to see God's plan unfold in areas you would least expect it. He knew exactly what He was doing when we chose to live much further from the base then any of the friends we already had at our new location; He knew Kristen and Nate would be there. He knew Kristen and I would meet at a spouses’ function and hit it off as friends right away. He knew our families would become close as we went camping and riding over the summers together. And He knew they would be enduring what every parent shouldn't, and that Gabriel and I would be there every step of the way for them. 

These last 6 weeks I have constantly been wishing I could take their pain from them; that I could even take their place for them. Not that I want to loose a child, but that I want to not see them suffer. Oh, what I would do to ease their pain. But this is God's plan, and thankfully they have embraced that truth and have been able to get through it with what only God's love and comfort can do. To watch our friends endure the pain that God did as His Son was crucified on the cross, is indescribable. But that's also exactly what makes it so amazing, that we are reminded that God has gone through this suffering as well. That He understands their pain and that He is here to comfort them and guide them along the way. 

Thank you Jesus for working in my friends' life. Thank You for loving them in ways they might not even see or completely understand. Thank You for allowing us to be with them this weekend and be able to witness what an impact they and their daughter have had on their community. Thank You for giving them the strength and courage to get through this and to tell others, especially their daughters that You are the reason they can hold their head high and continue on. Thank You for dying on the cross so Jubilee could go to Heaven and be with You for eternity. Thank You for giving our friends the understanding that she is no longer suffering but is forever praising Your name, and that one day they will be able to join with her in the heavenly chorus!  

Now go and hug your loved ones tight and tell them you love them, because believe me, you never know when your last chance to do so will be!

"Christ alone, cornerstone. 

Weak make strong in the Savior's love.
Through the storm, He is Lord, Lord of all!"