A Child of God
Psalm 127:3
“Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from him.”
We all know that our children are a gift from the Lord. Whether or not you struggle to have children, we all recognize that children are a gift from the Lord. They bring us closer to Him. They help us build character as a Christian.
Children are one of the blessings God bestows on us. Every child born into this world is a one-of-a-kind divine creation, a unique person who is precious to God. Because God’s children are all unique, some children even seem like opposites. Yet we know that they are just as loved by their heavenly Father.
But how do you know your child is a “Child OF God?” How do you know children have that understanding of what it is to believe in the Lord and to always trust in Him no matter what? They are so young. How do they know? I’d like to share with you my thoughts.
Revelation 12:11 says, “They overcame by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony.” Now, of course, I believe in that, but it was always hard for me to believe that in my life. My family has been through so much.
Before I was even born, my dad got in an accident where he broke his back when a pile of silage fell on him at work. Some years passed. I was 8 years old on Nov. 3, 2018 when my dad got into another accident. I had never seen him in such bad condition. He ended up breaking 12 ribs, 11 vertebrae, and his shoulder. He even partially lost vision in one eye. It was so bad I could barely look at him. We ended up staying at the Westra’s because my mom couldn’t take care of us while having a husband in the hospital. Weeks after weeks of recovering, we were all finally home.
Now, I’m not trying to make my testimony all about my family’s accident. It’s the fact that I truly didn’t believe my dad was going to make it. He was told he was never going to walk again. It’s like why God? Why me? I felt as if my life was being destroyed by God, which makes no sense! God is our rock and our foundation in everything we do, no matter what! Why does God do this to us? I never knew that answer and still don’t. It just didn’t make sense.
A few years later, my brother got into a dirt bike accident. His accident wasn’t that bad. However, it was bad for me because my life had already been so hard. From here, I felt like our family was a target. My family had already gone through so much. Why more?
Then my dad got diagnosed with cancer–not a curable one. He ended up going from appointment to appointment while sometimes us kids were home alone, having an evening by ourselves. Sounds nice, but having your parents not be there for a routine, it’s kind of sad! We knew it was going to be okay since we had gotten through so much and there wasn’t going to be anymore. But there was.
A few weeks ago, my mom had to go into the hospital and needed immediate surgery on her small intestines. I walked into the hospital, and all I could think about was my dad and God. With all the power that God has put on our family, I knew we could push through this too. She ended up spending about 5 days there. If you think about it, if God couldn’t help our family, I’d be left with only one brother. I thought through everything that happened. I thought deep. I never knew what was going through my parent’s mind. If God is so good, how come he puts hard things in our lives? I felt lost and empty. It was as if Satan was trying to take over our family.
I thank God for saving my family. God really impacted my life and probably impacted everyone else’s life. These may not be reasons, but these are the reasons I believe in God and how I trust in God’s faithfulness. I am so thankful for God because He saved my family, He saved everyone, and He saved ME! I can call myself a child of God.
Proverbs 3:5-6
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight."