Every storm runs out of rain
There are often times I hear about things I had never know before (it happens more than you think). This time it was something my wife told me. In just some simple dinner conversation she informed me that your next child after you lose a baby is referred to as a Rainbow baby. I thought that was interesting and upon some further reflection on that phrase, I got to thinking about the great story of Noah. Most everyone knows the story of Noah and how God wasn’t happy with the way the world was, so He called on Noah to build an arc, take some animals on it, send unprecedented amounts of rain to flood the earth, wipe everything out, then start over again with Noah and his family. I realized how that correlated a bit to our story and the story of Faith. There are obvious differences but I want to focus on the idea of the storm. For the past few months after Faith’s birth and death, Julie and I were in the middle of the storm. And just like every storm, once in a while you may see a small patch of blue sky and you think the storm will end soon. You start prepping the food you are about the grill outside, or you start to get ready to go on a walk, but then the dark clouds quickly cover up that little spot of blue sky and it continues to rain. For the past few months, Julie and I would see those pieces of blue sky in our life but then the dark clouds would roll in again. We know that God is in control of those clouds and our lives, but the dark clouds still gloom. Our little girl will never be reunited with us again on this earth, but just like Noah, every storm runs out of rain. Noah knew God had a plan and everything would be ok. Noah will never forget the flood and everything that came along with that just like Julie and I will never forget our little girl. But just like in the story of Noah, there is a dove with an olive branch that will come. January 15, our olive branch is to arrive. Julie and I are expecting another child again. We are overjoyed and nervous and scared all at the same time.
What if people think we are replacing Faith?
What if it’s too soon?
What do we do if this happens again?
All of these questions get brought up in our minds and conversations when we think about this beautiful soon-to-arrive baby. But when we stop and take time to think about it, God is still in control. We prayed for months that if it be His will, that God would bless us with a brother or sister to Faith. And He did. Yes, we will be scared at times. Just like Noah when the waves were throwing themselves up against the side of his arc, or when he was jolted up out of bed by the crashing of thunder outside and didn’t know what was going to happen next. Julie and I don’t know what’s going to happen next. However, we know in our hearts and minds that God is in control, and all we need to have is…
…a little faith.