God is Ever-Present

“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” – Psalm 46:1

This post has been a longtime coming. I’ve been excited to share it with you, and at the same time I have dreaded writing it. I wanted to share it on a landmark date in the life of our son, Jacob. I knew that his third birthday was approaching on April 9th, and decided that would be the perfect time. But I also knew his birthday tends to bring back the raw emotions of that day, and the forty-four days that followed.

Within all of the blog entries Deb and I have made over the last three years, I honestly feel that we failed to properly capture the essence of what life is like in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Sure, we gave a day-day (and sometimes play-by-play) synopsis of Jacob’s progress on CaringBridge (each of those entries has been reproduced on this blog). But I became convinced that one must experience that life for themselves to truly understand what it’s like.

That is, until I stumbled across this absolutely wonderful blog entry from another NICU mom: God lives in the NICU.

Meghan perfectly captures life in the NICU – so much so that I had flashbacks of our own incredibly similar experiences, fears, and joys. More importantly, she shares the faith – the knowledge – that the POWER of God’s grace which is ever-present, even in a small room at the NICU. Even when hope is fleeting. Even when we’re tired and can’t keep up the fight. Even when we’re lost. Even as family and friends try so hard to support you.

If I could emphasize anything in Meghan’s description of the NICU, it would be this: God is strengthening those nurses, RTs, and doctors, as well as everyone surrounding you. God knows our weaknesses, which surely prompted Him to remind us: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” – Matt. 11:28. In the context of the NICU, we parents can relax and focus on our little one while He handles all of the other details. He places skilled people in our midst to care for our baby in ways we cannot imagine. He places loving people in our midst to share the burdens of emotion with kind words and hugs. He places loving people in our midst to ease the financial burden with gifts of all sorts. He makes His presence known and felt through the acts of others – the Body of Christ (1 Cor 12:27). God truly is present, especially in the NICU.