Jennifer was born 37 years ago today at 3 am. Her birthday was always significant because there was always a recognition that her life was so very fragile. She was what I call a “girly girl.” She loved wearing dresses with frills and lace. She also liked wearing her hair long. I was looking back at some pictures over the years, and I guess I didn’t realize how often we had to shave her head for the various procedures she had to have done. She was such a trooper through it all. I sure do miss her.
One of my biggest struggles in her life was with healing. There were battles won and times of healing, but it was never complete. Endocrine issues always remained. Chemo and radiation took their toll. God’s Word promises healing, yet it never seemed to happen for her. Her struggles might have been greater than most, but we all have them. We all have scars. Many of us have health issues that never go away completely.
To say I prayed a lot for healing is an understatement. Maybe wrestling with God is more accurate. Perhaps you have also, only to lose that person in the end. The old King James says, “we see through a glass, darkly,” and I can accept there are things I cannot see. I can accept there are reasons that I may never understand in this life, but none of that negates the promise of healing.
When Jennifer passed away from this life, healing was off the table in my mind. I suppose I, like most Christians, rationalized it away with some nonsense that didn’t quite ring true. We really are caught up in this world we’re living in. Fortunately, God isn’t. He operates in other realms as well. After she took her last breath in this world, that wasn’t the closure of an opportunity for healing. That was the moment of healing. Her next breath was in a new body, a flawless one. No sickness. No scars. Perfect. In my mind’s eye, God is saying, “You should see her now!”. I don’t know what she looks like today, but I bet she has long hair. Happy Birthday, Jennifer.