"Consider it a great joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you experience various trials, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing." -James 1:2-4 (CSB: Christian Standard Bible) 

One year ago, we were spending our Labor Day weekend in a children's hospital. What started as a routine wellness visit with the pediatrician, turned into our tiny baby boy being admitted to the hospital for "Failure to Thrive". He was three months old at the time and, despite our efforts, his weight had begun to fall away from the growth curve. The pediatrician felt it best to have his calorie intake monitored and see if a solution to his slow and fluctuating weight gain could be found.

What would ensue in those following days would alter the course of our lives in ways we didn't anticipate, but this hospital stay would ultimately turn out to be one big blessing.

We remember vividly the day when we received some heavy news. The doctor who had been evaluating our son came into our hospital room, sat us down and said, "We think the problems your son is facing might be connected to a genetic syndrome."

Her words took me by surprise and I immediately burst into tears. She quickly tried to soften the blow by saying, "But maybe not! He would need to have genetic testing done for us to know for sure."

We were then referred to a genetic clinic where we received our son's diagnosis of Bainbridge-Ropers Syndrome, a very rare disease, six months after this hospital stay. I'll never forget the time she took after that conversation to sit with me as I quietly processed this information, and listened as she shared her own personal experience, recalling the day she found out her son had a medical condition. 

On the same day, we also had a Neurosurgeon meet with us to examine the ridge in the middle of our son's forehead. She determined that the suture of his forehead bone closing prematurely in utero had caused it. If not corrected, it would begin to deform the structure of his face and hinder the proper growth of his brain.

The surgery was explained to us in depth, as well as the risks involved, and a surgery date was soon set for the following month. While these conversations were both difficult and scary, we look back and now realize that being admitted was a true blessing that we know God orchestrated because He knew the outcome would be for our son’s good. It's also a time we feel the Lord put us through so we could later share about His sovereignty and goodness with others like you. 

Sometimes it takes us a while to realize that trials we once faced were ultimately for our good, and that the Lord's love and care were there with us the entire time. It's taken us a year to be able to look back and see how that hospital stay was a catalyst that led to all of the discoveries that were made in the first year of our son's life.

We have ample gratitude towards that doctor who referred us for genetic testing, where the diagnosis we received seemed to bring so much clarity when it felt like we were wandering in the dark. We also are very grateful for the neurosurgeon who noted the ridge on our son's forehead as more than just a unique facial feature, but as something that needed correcting as soon as possible.

We believe wholeheartedly that our son's story was given to us for a purpose bigger than we probably realize, but in sharing these moments, our prayer is that the true hope and peace that surpasses all understanding, found by being in a relationship with Jesus Christ, will be cultivated in many. I pray that you too will embrace the story God has chosen for you, and seek out how you can use that story to love, encourage, and share truth to others. 

As we look back on that day and realize the positive discoveries that sprouted from it, I want to leave you with these words: There is purpose in your pain, in your waiting, and in your uncertainties, sweet friend. Out of love for us, the Lord uses our trials, big or small, to shape and grow us into the people He created us to be, so that we can fulfill the things He created us to do. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

A sinner saved by grace, thankful for her roles as wife and mother, Jordan enjoys spending time with her family, cold fall mornings with a coffee in hand, and seeking out second-hand treasures at her favorite thrift stores. Jordan is a former special education teacher, and now stay-at-home mother. “It’s right where I’m meant to be,” she says. Realizing her love for writing and storytelling, Jordan hopes to one day write for Proverbs 31 Ministries to uplift and encourage other women to embrace the stories God has entrusted to them to share His love with others.