God's Plan

From the very first moment that I found out I was pregnant, I felt certain of two things. 


1. This baby was a boy.
2. God was going to use him in a big way. 


To put a name on this feeling that God had placed in my heart, I told people that I thought that maybe he was going to grow up to be a preacher or a missionary. I wasn't sure exactly how he would be used, I just new that God had big plans for him. 


Josh and I began to pray for this baby immediately. Actually we began praying before we knew for sure that we were pregnant. We just wanted to make sure that we were in God's will. We prayed for him in every way. We prayed he would be healthy, happy, and most importantly, that he would grow up to be a true man of God. We prayed for God's will in his little life and in our family. 


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Around Christmas time, when we started studying Jesus' birth at church and at home, something jumped out at me. John the Baptist was anointed from birth.

"For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb."     Luke 1:15


After I read about John the Baptist and the amazing purpose that God had for his life, even before he was born, I began to pray a new prayer for Jack. I prayed that he would be anointed from birth. That God would use him in a big way for his entire life. That he would find salvation in Jesus Christ at an early age and never turn from it. Never fall away. 


I prayed that he would grow up to be an amazing man of God who would do great things for His kingdom. Wether he becomes a preacher or not, I prayed that God would complete His will in Jack's life. 


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I don't believe that God makes bad things happen to His people. I believe that our God is good and wants only good things for His children. I do believe, however, that God will sometimes allow something that we consider to be bad to happen to us as a part of His greater plan. 


Usually when these things happen, we tend to ask God why He would allow this to happen to us. We are so focused on what we thought we deserved, should have had, or wanted that we can't see the bigger picture of God's plan...and He ALWAYS has a plan. 


But usually when we gain some perspective and are able to look back at something we've been though, especially a time when we questioned God like that, we find that God's plan is clear. And that He was working for our good...even though we couldn't see it at the time.


"And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose."   Romans 8:28


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When Jack was born with a heart condition, I immediately questioned God. After all, I had prayed for a healthy baby. I had done everything right. I felt so overwhelmed in that moment when Josh explained to me that our precious son was sick, that I couldn't even make myself believe that this was real. God wouldn't allow this, would He? This doctor had to be mistaken. 


But the doctor wasn't wrong. Jack was born with a condition called Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome, or more commonly called Left Ventricle. 


God did allow this to happen and now that I have had some time to reflect and pray, I have realized that God is simply working out the plan that I prayed so diligently for during my pregnancy. He gave me and Josh a baby who was born with a purpose. He has already worked miracles for and through Jack and He has only just begun. 


We have experienced every emotion you can possibly imagine from raging with anger to trembling in fear. But, from day one we decided that no matter what, we wouldn't allow Satan to steal our faith in God. We have seen what God can do. We decided to cling to the faith that we have in our sweet savior and in His plan for Jack's life. It is through this faith that we are able to rest assured that Jack will have a long happy life. Just as we prayed. Plus he is already being used by God in such a big way. So many people have been praying with us and we have already seen God change hearts through Baby Jack. 


If God can do that with the first week of Jack's life, imagine what He is planning to do with the rest of his life. I can't wait to see what amazing things God has in store for Jack. One thing I know for sure, he is going to grow up to be an amazing man of God.