THE STRENGTH GIVER

My sister ran out to the car to get something, and I was left alone with the lady who was going through my dad's clothes.

Funeral homes are quiet.

I didn't want to be there.

I didn't want to do what I was doing.

And then I remembered.

And my knees started to buckle under me.

I remembered when the doctors had said that Ethan wouldn't live.

They told us over and over again.

I stood there and wondered, how would I have ever been able to take Ethan's clothes to a funeral home?

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

And I knew that if He had called me to do it, that's how I would have done it.

And if he ever calls me to do it, that is how I will do it.

It's how I've done everything else for the last eight years.

It hasn't been my strength.

It has been by His.

I breathed deep and long and thanked God, that by His grace and by His mercy and by His power, Ethan is with us today.

And I breathed deep and long and I thanked Him for His strength.

Strength that is outside of me.

Strength that is outside of being a mother.



There were many many tears, but we did celebrate on the day we said goodbye to our dad.

We celebrated the man my daddy was on that beautiful warm winter day.

The sky was as blue as God could ever have made it.

We celebrated as we introduced Our Miracle to Daddy's friends and distant family members.

We celebrated as they met their answered prayers.

x

x

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Yes we celebrated.

But most of all we celebrated The Giver of Life and The Giver of Miracles.

And I celebrated His Strength.

Philippians 4:13