Yep, He is Good!

I was sitting in my living room watching LSU play Kent State when I heard my wife yell, “You have got to come see this!” I went in and there was my baby girl taking her first steps. We were all excited. I sat down on the floor and she walked back and forth from me to my wife. Each time, we celebrated. She loved the attention and wanted to keep on going. This event is played out over and over again in homes all over the world. In fact, we sat in the same positions and did the same celebrations when our other three children began to walk. What made this so special is that she is not suppose to be walking, at least not according to the medical experts.

Our daughter had a difficult birth. During the process she was without oxygen for an unspecified amount of time and had to be fully resuscitated. She was immediately transferred to a children’s hospital and tests showed some damage to her brain. In addition, she was fragile due to some prenatal neglect and abuse. She would spend the first two months of her life in the NICU. Her first Christmas was not spent with her mommy, it was spent with hospital staff.

When we were called to adopt our little girl, we were given the whole medical report and outlook. As my wife sat and listened to two doctors, on a conference call, tell us of her condition, we were both saddened and frightened. Just the other day, I listened again to the recording of the conversation and am still shaken to the core when I think of all she went through. We were told that she may be delayed or have trouble with motor skills. We were told that she may never function “normally.” We were told that she may have cerebral palsy. We were told she may never walk.

In spite of all that we were told, God chose to do otherwise. According to His great mercy and grace, He chose to work in a different way than the medical professionals had predicted. So that, there we were sitting on the floor while our 9 month old (7 ½ months adjusted) took her first steps. That’s just one example of many of the things she is doing. Her pediatrician cannot explain it. Her neurologist cannot explain it. The folks from Babies Can’t Wait can’t believe it. Virtually everything that we were told about her has proven to not be the case.

It is here that I am tempted to go into praise as to the goodness of God. That is certainly appropriate. He is absolutely good. But, He would still be good if the doctors had been right. He would still be good through cerebral palsy. He would still be good if she had never taken a step. He would still be good if she were to never dance (she does). He would still be good if she never functioned “normally.” He is always good. He is always good because He is always God.

One of my favorite songs is titled, “As Long As You Are Glorified.” In the song, the writer expresses the nature of God’s goodness with these words:
                                 Are You good only when I prosper
                                 And true only when I’m filled
                                 Are You King only when I’m carefree
                                 And God only when I’m well
                                 You are good when I’m poor and needy
                                 You are true when I’m parched and dry
                                 You still reign in the deepest valley
                                 You’re still God in the darkest night

                                 Oh let Your will be done in me
                                  In Your love I will abide
                                 Oh I long for nothing else as long
                                 As You are glorified