Most of the time, we are ambivalent to how fragile life is until our breath is snatched away.
Shortly after giving birth, our daughter, Gracie, was breastfeeding our granddaughter. Suddenly, she held out a blue baby and screamed, “She’s not breathing!”
I jumped to my feet, grabbed the baby, and yelled for help. The nurse burst through the doorway, placed an oxygen mask over Jewel’s tiny face, and began suctioning her airways. Holding my new grandbaby with the oxygen mask over her face gave me an opportunity to pray. As the nurse continued to suction, Jewel’s breath and color returned.
I reflected on how Jewel entered the world with one short breath and almost left the same way. We don’t know what the next moment will bring, but I’m grateful God breathed life back into our granddaughter—thankful for the reminder of how precious and brief life is.
Our daughter prepared for a normal delivery and a healthy baby. Circumstances don’t always follow our script. Instead of declaring our purposes, we need to acknowledge the Lord’s direction for living. Every breath we take, we take in Him. Jewel’s resuscitation demonstrated how powerless we are to live. I cannot give her, myself, or anyone else breath.
In utter dependence, respond to life’s circumstances with, “If the Lord wills, I will live and do this or that.”
(Photo courtesy of pixabay.)
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Sue Schultz is pursuing her passion as a literary missionary through her travels as a short term mission team leader, speaker, teacher, and writer. Her stories have appeared in Christian Authors Guild compilation books, Christian Devotions, You Are Called to Greatness, and God Still Meets Needs. Sue is a member and past president of Christian Authors Guild and enjoys writing devotions, object lessons, and working on a book project.