How a Baby’s Funeral Taught Me Reliance
For multiple years, through a local hospital’s ministry, I had the honor of conducting memorial services for parents who had lost their babies in utero or within the first months of life.
Each year, these saddened families came and gathered underneath the tent near a graveside marker titled “Tiniest Angels.” Many brought toys or stuffed animals to hold onto or place at the grave marker. In many instances, this was the only memorial service certain families experienced for their child.
Photo courtesy of Jeff Black @jeffblack76The first year I spoke at the service, not only had I not lost a child, I was not even a dad. I couldn’t empathize with their loss. How was I to give hope to these families?
With my inadequacies, never more did I rely on the truth and hope of God’s Word. It’s something I wished permeated all my actions. Full dependence on God allows Him his greatest work. With my inadequacies, I never gave hope to those families, but God did.
Since then, ministry has allowed me more opportunities to be used by God. And with my parenting privilege quadrupling, I find myself in the same frame of mind I was in while preparing for those memorial services–total reliance on God.
The stakes are too high for me to try to meander through ministry and life with Brian-sized strength to do God’s work.
Like me, you’re not prepared for all the opportunities God will present you. But God provides ample amounts of Himself so we can be used by Him. I hope you and I continue to live in the tension of not being enough ourselves, but serving a God who is enough.
What life circumstances have taught or forced reliance on God for you? I’d like to have the conversation via Twitter or email.
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