2021 Daily Devotion - Day 415

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People often raise their eyebrows when they hear we had three sons in 25 months. Greg was 15 months old when Jim was born; just 10 months later, David was born three months prematurely weighing 2 lbs. and 15 inches long. He was immediately rushed to the nearest neonatal unit, an hour away. I was moved out of the maternity ward so I would not hear the other babies. While that was a thoughtful thing to do, there was no way for me to avoid grieving a child I had not yet seen, but had been immediately moved into a lifesaving mode. I heard from the nurse who’d accompanied him in the ambulance he’d needed resuscitation twice en route.

I had a difficult time that night as I begged God to save our son. I alternately prayed and wept. During the night, I had a visitor. Cora was a member of our church and a hospital administrator. She let me weep for a while as I told her I had been begging God that David would live. She listened to me, then said, “Nancy, it sounds to me as if you’ve been telling God what to do. You need to relinquish your son into God’s loving care; in other words, let go and let God take care of your son.” This was not an easy lesson for me to learn, especially as his stay in the neonatal unit lasted for three months. We had no guarantees he would be a normal child, and we often had to relinquish him back to our Heavenly Father’s perfect will.

Today Dave is a Doctor of Public Health, an epidemiologist, with two sons of his own! And I am still learning to “let go and let God” in every area of my life.

Philippians 4:6-7
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Pray with me:
Heavenly Father, may we trust You enough to relinquish our concerns to Your loving care. In Your holy name. Amen.

Nancy Reynen
Small Group Leader
Mount of Olives Church
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