Nancy Guthrie wrote "Holding on to Hope". It's the story of Their hope in God during the short life of their daughter, Hope. She was born with Zellwager Syndrome and not given more than six months to live. Nancy used Job as her reference for their journey.
It's a good book to remind us of the hope we have in God, in any circumstance, to walk with us through it. To be reminded that He understands our pain, grief, and struggles with belief.
They chose not to ask for miraculous healing, but instead with boldness and passion and persistence to pray:
"God, would you please accomplish your will? Would you give me a willing heart to embrace your plan and your purpose? Would you mold me into a vessel that you can use to accomplish what you have in mind?" and then, perhaps, we could add a tiny P.S. that says, "If that includes healing, we will be grateful."
What a difference from how believers usually pray. What a difference it would make in our lives if we approched God with this request instead of "Lord, make me better",
"let the test be benign," etc. I type up prayer requests at church and these are more of what I see than "Lord, work out your will." We, myself included, are so focused on feeling better that we forget that God often chooses to use our weakness to show His strength and for Him to be glorified.
The Guthries took steps to have no other children, this syndrome is genetic and after one child with it there is more chance of another one, however, God had other plans. Their son, Gabriel, survived just six months. They knew he would be born with the syndrome and knew this was God's gift to them. They named him Gabriel because they believed that he "like the angel, Gabriel, is sent from God, and protected by God. We will not be surpirsed if he has heavenly messages for us to hear, if we will listen. And significantly, whenever Gabriel, appeared in the Bible, he reassured his stunned audience: 'Don't be afraid!' "
What a message for us.
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