That’s why we stopped.
“As long as they’re healthy,” unfortunately, is not everyone’s story. However, the abiding presence of a loving, sustaining and understanding God can be everyone’s story.
Here are two things to rest on when “as long they’re healthy” is not our story.
A Child That Is Born Unhealthy: We must remember that no matter whether the health issues are physical, emotional or mental, if God has written the story, He will also provide His comfort and peace that surpasses all our understanding. Let’s be honest … it will be difficult, confusing and disheartening at times, and often all of them at the same time. We won’t understand everything about the situation we’re in. We’ll ask the tough questions like, “Why my child? Couldn’t it be me, instead of my child? And how could a loving God allow this to happen my baby?” But hopefully there will be a time when the light of truth will shine through the darkness of confusion and depression. We’ll begin to see and know that God will and does sustain us. He will be present. His grace will be sufficient. His peace will be greater than our understanding. “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7).
The Death of a Young Child: As believers in Christ, we have a hope that we will see our children again. In 2 Samuel 12, King David loses his son, but he had the utmost assurance that he would see his young child again in Heaven. “He said, ‘While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept, for I said, “Who knows whether the LORD will be gracious to me, that the child may live? But now he is dead. Why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he will not return to me.’” This heartbroken father was comforted by his hope in the graciousness of God. David didn’t have this hope simply because he was a king, a good parent or even a loving father. It had nothing to do with who he was; he had this hope because of who his heavenly Father is.
So that’s why we’ve stopped saying, “As long as they’re healthy.”
Unfortunately, even in children, health is fleeting, but the Lord is sustaining. Healthy is not the identity of a child, but rather a beautiful image-bearing creation that is “fearfully and wonderfully made” by a Holy God is the identity of a child.
They may not have health, but they have love, a purpose and a God that cares for them more than we ever could. After all, no one can identify more with a hurting child than a suffering Savior, and no one can identify more with a hurting parent than a loving Father who watched His Son suffer in our place.
For a similar article by the same authors, check out The Death of the Picture Perfect Family.
