MARCH STUDY
Forever
Changed Four words changed our lives forever. That is not hyperbole. It is the truth. We were expecting our second child. Our first, Kylie, was a month shy of her third birthday. Life was normal and filled with happiness and hope. January 7, 2004, proved to be a challenge to that ‘normal.’ Our lives came to a screeching stop that day. Happiness and hope immediately vanished. Can you imagine four words so powerful they bring everything to a standstill? Can you imagine four words so devastating? From the doctor came those four words, “Your baby has anencephaly.” In all honesty, we did not understand in that moment what “anencephaly” meant. The doctor’s explanation made those four words so powerful, “This has a 99.9% fatality rate.” It is every parent’s worst nightmare. The child in Frances’ womb, our child, was going to die. The source of so much happiness and hope in our lives would not live. The pain today is as real as it was on the day we received the news—our baby would not be able to sustain life. But the fact that we are writing this article today is a testimony to God’s grace and faithfulness to us. Undoubtedly, God has used this heartbreak to teach us lessons about living by faith.
The Testing of Your Faith Proves the Genuineness of Your Faith We are often tempted to say, “If only we had faith....” The Bible is very clear the reason God tests His people is to prove their faith is real (1 Peter 4:12-19). This is the very nature of a test, isn’t it? Why do products have quality tests applied to them? To prove the product measures up to the manufacturer’s claims. Your test is not to prove you have no faith or even some faith. God is proving the genuineness of your faith! JAN-MAR 2022
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