Heart Problem

Yesterday Bren and I received word from Cora's cardiologist that there was no longer evidence of her heart condition, ASD or her pulmonary stenosis. While on the phone I flashed back to walking through the door of our home that October in 2013 and receiving a call that Cora had a hole in her heart and that they discovered it after dismissing us from the hospital. The weight of my body grew heavy each step I took as they told me to schedule an appointment with Texas Children's Hospital within the first two weeks.

I was devastated as a new mother that something could be wrong with my newborn's heart. Even though it wasn't immediately life-threatening, our innocent newborn daughter had a heart problem.

You see in reality, every single one of us are born with a heart problem. Some call it sin, others call it brokenness and God is devastated by it. However, just because we are imperfect and in need of fixing does not change His purpose for this world, purpose for us as individuals and His purpose for family.

The purpose of marriage, parenthood and family is to reflect God's character. Here within our arms, our children, neighbors and friends should be able to run to us for safety and strength; to experience God's unconditional love and learn how to share that love.

It's not about us. It's not about what family can do for us. From the beginning it's been about glorifying God. We have a responsibility to bind evil in His name. We also have the responsibility to be united and extend His hands and feet through which He can continue to physically touch the world in healing power and pass on the legacy and hope of Christ to the generations to come in an increasingly broken world.

Christ came through family. He could have descended from the sky or appeared from thin air as an adult, ready to roll. But God had a plan from birth to death. Christ came to emulate the very lives we're called to lead.

Selfless, generous, loving, righteous and forgiving lives.

Real wars happen on the battlefield, real trials happen in the courtroom and real struggles happen in the family. But God has designed family to unite against any force (from our own hearts or from outside sources) that are determined to destroy what He has made GOOD and HOLY.

So please, pray for me, and forgive me. Pray for my heart, for Bren's heart, that we apply God's word in our lives and move quickly towards God's reconciliation for this world in however way He's planned. Pray for our family as a whole, each of us, as we pray for you too. Pray for the legacy of our parents, of our children and work with us as we do what we need to do to unite against the force that is dividing us once and for all. It's worth it. You're worth it.

References:
"And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh." Ezekiel 36:26

"But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God's righteous judgment will be revealed." Romans 2:5

"The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith." 1 Timothy 1:5

"Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you." Ephesians 4:32

"Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working." James 5:16

"Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all offenses." Proverbs 10:12