Grace

A cold is making its way through our family. Thankfully, my two-week-old and I are still healthy. This old post from August 2012 spoke to me today. May it speak to your heart too.

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I haven't written for a week because the baby's been sick. Early last Tuesday, she woke with a high fever that lasted for three days. Then, she broke out in red splotches all over her body. Roseola, or three-day measles, is what she had. So for a week, I had a crying baby and little sleep. Worse than the fatigue was seeing my smiling, joyful baby cry and lose interest in eating and playing. I am happy to say today that she is almost back to her normal self.

During the seemingly long hours of holding my baby, I pondered what lesson could be learned from all of this. It wasn't until yesterday that I knew. I am thankful for God's grace. Where is God's grace in a sick child and a weary mother, you may ask? God's grace was that the illness happened last week, not this week, when we have to travel to a wedding in which my older daughters are flower girls. God's grace was what could have been, but wasn't. And when I think of all the other incidences in my life of how things could have been, I find that His grace is more than abundant.

Like how, twelve years ago, I could have married the wrong man. The man broke up with me and my heart shattered. But by God's grace, I experienced months of pain rather of years, maybe decades, of pain.

Or how I could have pursued the wrong career, and found success by the world's standards. God could have given me what I asked for, but by His grace, He didn't. He led me away from that path, and away from self-destructive pride and greed.

And so, once again, a difficult week of mothering has shone light on God's character. And I also found it providential that my baby's middle name is Grace.