Weeping and Rejoicing

I don't typically post twice in one day, unless I have a good reason.........


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The phone in our NICU suite rang around 5 o'clock.

"Jess Johnson is here to see you, can she come back?" asked the operator.

"Yes! Of course! Thank you!" as a lump formed in my throat.

A friend from church camp. A friend from Faith {college}. A fellow mom. A fellow NICU mom {though our situation didn't hold a candle to theirs}. A friend, my age, losing her husband to cancer.

Across the wings of the hospital, Jessica's husband was lying in a cancer wing. Suffering the adverse affects of chemotherapy.

And she took the time to stop and see us? I was speechless.

She came and encouraged us, doted over our adorable babies. Offered a lot of understanding in dealing with time in hospitals. Not only did she take time out of her day to see us, but she took her 2 beautiful babies shopping at Target for our boys.

There are not words to describe how humbled we were.

Late last night, Jessica's husband lost his battle with a horrible, disgusting cancer.

Or rather, he WON.

Today, Josiah met His Savior.

He greeted his baby girl, Grace. And he is HOME.

Free of pain.

I know Jessica doesn't want glory in this trial for herself, so I will do my best.

It's hard for me to see at times that God IS good, even in allowing this trial in their lives. Even in taking, in what in my feeble opinion, a father from his children too soon, and taking a loving husband from his beautiful, loving wife...too, too soon.

Marriages are crumbling daily....and God? You're taking a healthy one?

And God would have still been good....even if it would've been my husband.

A few weeks ago, Jessica's status on Facebook was

"Listening to my Hubby belt out Blessed be Your Name...with half a lung...in the bathroom. Beautiful."

     

So beautiful. Even in the final days of his cancer ...singing praise to his God. Who He now gets to spend an eternity singing praise to.

Blessed Be your name
In the land that is plentiful
Where Your streams of abundance flow
Blessed Be your name


Blessed Be your name
When I'm found in a desert place
Though I walk through the wilderness
Blessed Be Your name


Every Blessing you pour out
I'll turn back to praise
When the Darkness closes in Lord
Still I will say


Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be your glorious name


Blessed be your name
When the sun's shining down on me
When the world's 'all as it should be'
Blessed be your name


Blessed Be your name
on the road marked with suffering
Though there's pain in the offering
Blessed be your name


You give and take away
You give and take away
My heart will choose to say
Lord, Blessed be Your name.

Peace that only God can give. How else can you explain it?

In the darkest of dark times.....my heart will CHOOSE to say "Lord, blessed be Your name."

Please pray for Jessica, Ava and Lincoln and the rest of the Johnson family. 
To read their story, and weep and rejoice with them, click here.