Beautiful Baby, Hurting Hearts, and God's Glory

I know a married couple named Mark and Liza. I met them through Sioux Falls Young Life. They're marvelous as individuals and as a duo. They love Jesus a lot. Both Mark and Liza have been pretty influential in my walk with Jesus.

Shortly after I came to Ghana, Mark and Liza announced that they were going to have a baby! I was excited for them and selfishly bummed that everyone else would see the little one before me. (But I was definitely more excited than bummed.) 

Last week, Mark and Liza had a beautiful little boy named William Daniel. His name makes me believe he will grow up to be a very charming man. He already looks like a very charming infant. See:

Baby Will is out in the world! But Baby Will hasn't had the most ideal time out of the womb. He started having seizures, and they found out that the back of Will's brain has a blood build-up while one part of the front of his brain isn't receiving as much blood as it needs. Mark and Liza have been sharing this information so that people can pray for their beloved son. To read the most recent update on Will, click here.

My heart hurts for my friends, as do the hearts of so many others. I'm thankful that distance doesn't hinder prayer; even though I'm miles and miles away, I can love and support these great friends through prayer. God is so good like that!

As I've been praying, I've been asking God oodles of questions. I'm sure others are doing so too. The first one was "WHY?" I realized that we like that question when tough things happen. Our most common follow-up statement is "They're such good people." 

We live in a world that likes to embrace the idea that bad things shouldn't happen to "good" people. We like to reap exactly what we sow, but we will willingly accept a better harvest if it comes. We don't live in a predominantly Buddhist culture in America, but we love the idea of karma. We like to think that if you do good things bad things (or even tough things) shouldn't be your result. We think things like, "She had a healthy, normal pregnancy." Or, "They waited until after marriage to have children." Or, "They deserve to be happy parents." (For the record, no one's said this to me. But from past experiences, I'm sure some of us have had those thoughts slip into our minds. I know some of them have slipped through mine.)

Thankfully, I'm learning more about how the idea of karma is such baloney. Because really, once we screw up once, we should be screwed. I don't believe in karma. I believe in Jesus. I believe he was God and man and he suffered; he died. He rose from the dead, and through his resurrection, I have life. I'm no longer screwed in life (and eternal life) because of mistakes. I'm made new!

In the few days that Will has been in the hospital, I've learned a few things (or been reminded of them).

1. Community is so important. Mark and Liza have such a beautiful community. It's evident that lots of people that love Jesus also love Mark, Liza, and Will. They're praying for Will. Some people even started a "pray without ceasing" movement for them, and lots of people have joined. It's been really neat to see Jesus lovers come together in this hard situation.
2. God cares. God cares about Will more than even Mark and Liza do. That may sound like a preposterous idea, but it's true. It's what God says in his word. He wants Will to experience the fullness of life. He cares that Mark, Liza, their family, and their friends are hurting. He cares that Will is sick. He's not distant in this. He's near.
3. God's primary concern is his own glory. Sometimes that can be hard for us to accept. But it's true. His glory is the biggest and greatest thing ever. Like really, EVER. And he cares about it. We should care about it more than anything else too.

There's this story in the book of John chapter 9.

As [Jesus] went along, he saw a man blind from birth. ² His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned,this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”³ “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. ⁴ As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. ⁵ While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”
⁶ After saying this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes. ⁷ “Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam” (this word means “Sent”). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.

You see, when this guy was born blind, everyone assumed it was because either this new baby or his parents messed up. But Jesus says that that idea is a bunch of baloney. Jesus basically says, "You're missing the point. God allowed this so that people could see God's power, God's glory. That's what matters." And Jesus healed him! And God's glory was seen by those who saw the man no longer blind!

Jesus' response doesn't just apply to that one event. God sometimes allows sickness, even at birth, here and now so that his glory can be displayed on earth. Sometimes it can be hard to accept, but God's glory being displayed for those who love him and those who have yet to love him is a beautiful thing. He cares about us enough to display his glory to us!

I trust that God is displaying his glory through Baby Will right now. Mark and Liza are faithfully trusting God during this hard time. God can miraculously heal Baby's Will brain. And he just might do so; I know lots of people, including me, are praying for that miraculous healing. And / or, God could use this to show Mark and Liza's online community and the hospital staff that he is a God that can be trusted, that he is a God who gives peace, that he is a God who is worthy of praise in all circumstances. I believe that more people are going to become Jesus lovers because of Will's time in the NICU. And these beautiful things will happen solely for the glory of God. Hallelujah!

But as we expectantly wait for these things to happen, please pray for Mark, Liza, Will, and the rest of their family.