Distracted by Joy.

“For it was fitting…”- Hebrews 2:10a

There are seasons of life that are sacred.

Sacred in that, sometimes most especially in grief and trials, the memory of them hits and postures in a particular way that cannot be expressed but can only be felt.

Those who have been privileged to walk through really hard things with people know exactly what I mean.

Only our Creator could prescribe some of the same emotions for the birth and death of another human being.

It’s seems paradoxical- but that’s our God.

His ways and His methods and His understanding so different than ours.

He is most certainly Other- and most definitely good.

Perfect even.

“For it was fitting that He, for whom and by whom all things exist…”- Hebrews 2:10a

It’s all for Him, you know.

Your specific story, the details.

Each chapter of your life is not just handwritten but BLOOD-SEALED by the God of the universe. He didn’t just read each chapter before approving it- He planned it intricately.

Every small detail bought with a price that now becomes the greatest gift ever offered- offered to all.

So Other.

How?

“For it was fitting that He, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering.”- Hebrews 2:10

Perfect through suffering.

We have some dear friends who are moving in the next few weeks. They walked through one of those sacred times with us- the beginning days of, “something is not normal” and, “what could it be?” with the girls. They prayed with us as we waited for fatal diagnoses for our two babies. They cried with us as we expressed fears and very rational new realities. They brought us food and friendship and truth. Their moving has brought back many memories from those beginning days, and as we were talking about this recently, someone stated, “I’m just so glad the girls don’t suffer. It would make it that much harder, you know?”

Ha.

I reflected on this statement later, because I was so perplexed as to how someone who has been in the trenches of it all with us would not see the suffering involved. And then, it hit me.

As humans, so often our natural inclination is to focus on or see the bad in our circumstance. We fixate on the spilled milk rather than the morning as a whole. We think a flat tire defines an entire 24 hour period. We sigh with frustration when our exact, self-centered expectations aren’t met for the day. We don’t just want to have our cake and eat it too; we desire to plan out the flavor and colors and design as well.

Not Ally and Bailey Grace.

Our girls want and look for and crave and seek out the joy in each and every moment.

They don’t look behind or ahead.

They know that every moment holds infinite blessing if yet we have eyes to see.

“At present, we do not yet see everything in subjection to Him-but we see Him.”- Hebrews 2:8b-9a

But we see Him.

If through Him, and to Him, and for Him are all things (Romans 11:36), then not only has He overcome every moment- He is every moment.

I know Bailey Grace and Ally are adorable. I know their smiles light up a room and that everyone is a sucker for twins much less twins with special needs. Yet- I don’t think this is what draws people to the girls. I believe with all my heart this God-given ability to look for the God in all things is both magnifying and infectious.

Deep down, we all want to be this way.

It is so easy for me to get caught up in the hard. To base our days on seizures and vomiting and unknown pain and the weariness of lifting two very heavy children everywhere we go.

I want to be the kind of person that sees the neighborhood children eating popsicles and running around the park and sees the beauty there. Instead, so often I filtrate my joy through the toxic glass of comparison.

Yet God.

He says that all things are under His control.

He reminds us that all things are fitting- based on His goodness and glory.

He hasn’t just seen each and every last detail- He wrote it.

Ally and Bailey Grace may have MR added to their charts (for the politically correct ones out there, intellectual disability)- but I think they actually are wiser than most of us.

They get it.

They understand that because of the grace offered by Jesus on the cross, all of our stories are magnificent miracles- down to every last moment.

They grasp that God is a part of everything therefore everything is absolutely perfect.

They don’t even have to strive to be distracted by joy- they just are.

I have yet to meet a person that isn’t attracted to this.

They don’t have to be seen in their suffering- they simply want to see Him and are therefore vessels for Him to be seen.

Now we don’t see everything in subjection to Him- but we see Him.

Oh, that this reality would be enough.

Enough to get us through the hard.

Enough to bring us joy in the heavy.

Enough to remind us to see God in each and every trial and each and every celebration.

All Him.

Today, I am praying that, like Ally and Bailey Grace, I would not compare.

I am asking God to give me new vision to see the joy in every millisecond.

I am seeking fresh perspective in the truth that our lives are but a breath on earth yet eternity is forever.

I don’t want to escape the challenges nor put band aids on them; I simply want to see them from a much bigger angle- from heavenly lenses if you will.

I am praying the same for you.

May we find ourselves so distracted by joy today that all frustrations and unexpecteds and pains fade into the background in light of His presence in all things.

He is faithful.

At all times.

In all things.

No matter what.

To Him be the glory.