Ecclesiastes 7:13
Consider the work of God:
who can make straight what he has made crooked?
The following was written by a mom named Laura, whose daughter, Hannah, was diagnosed with Incontinentia Pigmenti, I.P.,a rare disorder, and Cerebral Palsy. She started the website, IP Hugs, to encourage other parents of children with this rare disease.
On a particularly difficult day after seeing Hannah’s Neurologist and coming home with unexpected and unpleasant results, I was feeling rather discouraged. I spoke to a few family members about our visit and retreated to my bedroom after putting both girls down for naps. I was becoming more emotional and less able to process the devastating diagnosis of Cerebral Palsy in my little girl’s legs and hips. More than anything else I didn’t feel like repeating the news over and over again when my world felt like it was falling apart. I laid on my bed with silent tears streaming down my face and I lifted my quiet inner voice up to the only One I knew would understand the intense pain I was experiencing.
“Why God? Why choose to make Hannah unable to walk or run like every other kid? I helped her through the blister stage and the warts, diligently gave her any and all medication that she needed, and took her to all of the specialists that could help her. This additional diagnosis of Spastic Diplegic Cerebral Palsy wasn’t even on the radar of problems that I imagined her facing. Please give me the peace that I am so desperately lacking.”
After a while I picked up my Bible to read the next chapter in Ecclesiastes that my husband and I were studying. (If you have ever read the book of Ecclesiastes in the Bible you will know that it is not exactly a cheerful section of scripture but the message is clear–this world and all of it’s treasures, and pain, are temporary.) God provided an verse that my heart was aching to hear–I almost missed the significance but when I read it again I was blown away:
“Consider what God has done,
For who can make straight, what He has made crooked.” (Ecclesiastes 7:13)
I am not sure if you can understand why that was so wild to me so I have to explain it to you…. I don’t think of God making things crooked. When I think of something being crooked I think of it being a mistake. God doesn’t make mistakes. Yet the verse clearly says that God sometimes chooses to make things crooked. GOD MADE HANNAH’S LEGS CROOKED! It wasn’t on accident. Some people might react to news like that with anger or resentment, but it brought me so much hope. Why? Because it reminded me that God has a plan for Hannah. He has created her uniquely with an amazing heart and handpicked attributes. He knew that she was going to have IP and He knew that she was going to have Cerebral Palsy. He will give her and my family the strength to not only “deal with it” but also to use it for a greater purpose.
Who knows if you are reading this page while facing the same scenario with your child. Don’t lose heart and don’t give up hope! Some days you will ache like me and some days your tears will fall unabated. There are still times when I watch her struggle to manouver around a toy or obstacle and I grieve deeply in silent watchfullness. Even this week I have dealt with stares from strangers who didn’t understand and it filled me with many mixed emotions. To be honest, I have cried a lot more than usual the last few days and my heart has been extra heavy. Then a good friend reminded me that God gave Hannah to the only mommy that He wanted her to have and that she is an INCREDIBLE blessing just the way that she is. Again I come back to the familiar verse that reminds me who is in control and the peace that only God can bring flooded me with hope once again:
“Consider what God has done,
For who can make straight what He has made crooked.”
Love and Hugs,
Laura
Knowing God through His Word ... Day by Day 