GOD IS GOOD!!!
On November 1, 2009, my wife and I celebrated the birth of our brand new baby girl, Reese Abigail Klutinoty! She weighed 6lbs. 6oz. and was 19.5 inches in length, arriving about 3 weeks early. Born on a Sunday, we brought her home Tuesday, only to be sent back to the hospital Wednesday morning due to ulcers found in the back of her
throat. Needless to say, we had a stressful and scary week of giving up our baby girl for tests such as a spinal tap, and other tests that brought her discomfort and pain. Thankfully, the doctors concerns were over-reactions, and Reese is healthy and home!
Through this crazy first week of being a parent, my emotions were up and down. I was so excited to witness the birth of my son or daughter, and experience the love that I have for her as I held her in my arms, because I wanted to experience a little more of how our great God looks at us as his children. I learned far more about
the love of God as I gave up my peaceful little girl for these painful tests. To see her go through pain only brought me pain, and to see her in discomfort only brought me discomfort...
A few posts ago I talked about how much the song "
How He Loves" means to me because it contains powerful analogies of how God loves me! Holding little tiny Reese in my hands let me experience a little bit of the BIG love that God has for his children. I ran out after a stressful day at the hospital last week, put on that song in the car, and wept for my little girl. My love for her, and the protection I wanted for her is only a fraction of how God feels toward us, which is incredible in my mind!
As tests weren't working out and Doctors didn't know what was up, I found myself getting angry, but I kept repeating the verse to myself, "God sits in the heavens and he does what he pleases." Sounds harsh, but no matter what goes on, it is because God allows it to go on, and He is good no matter what. For some reason that was comforting to me? But even more comforting was the verse that my wife wrote on the board in our room as she was striving to seek the Lord.
Isaiah 41:10-"Fear not for I am with you; Be not dismayed for I am your God; I will help you, I will give you strength, and I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."
What a powerful verse! In context, it brought me encouragement because no matter what happens in my life, whether I think it is good or bad, I have help and strength in my God. He is mighty and strong, and a refuge and strength for his children, and if I can be a small portion of that for Reese, praise God!
Pastor Craig Steiner was a guest speaker at Harvest Granger this past Sunday. He used a quote from Tony Dungy that Tony told the press after the death of his son. It was this:
Our circumstances change for better or for worse, but what never changes is God's worth.
In no way did I want to go through last week, and in no way did I want to give up my little girl for shots and tests, but in the midst of that trial, my God remains the same. In the midst of that trial, the only right thing to do is rest in Christ and know that he loves Reese far more and better than I ever could.
I praise God for the life in Reese Abigail Klutinoty and I pray that one day she will realize that the life she has is worthless without Jesus Christ. And I pray that I could be a Father who raises her up in the ways of the Lord!
