While pondering the depths within the Word of Life and considering how far I have come in my own walk of faith, I came across this from October 16, 2014 in my timeline on Facebook. I removed the names to protect those involved. This reflection surrounds my oldest daughter and her vast medical issues, who despite all of the odds against her, before she even took her first breath, has risen above it all. The reflection is all four of the following paragraphs.

“Reflections…It’s hard to begin a heart felt, open minded revelation after many requests to play Farmville, Candy Crush, and many other mindless things that take us away from becoming what we are truly destined for. In a world filled with stuff to do, places to go, and spectacular foods to eat, it’s very easy to saturate ourselves with the enticements around us. After spending the majority of the last five years filled with heartache, disappointment and despair, its amazing to see a child whose whole outlook on life is nothing but breathtaking. It’s easy to say that my daughter’s life is miraculous. It’s easy to say that her radiance beams love, devotion, and determination. It’s easy to say her purpose is notable. Beyond that, she is full of something beyond us all.”

“As I have been reflecting on this tonight, I thought about my own life and my purpose in all of this. I’ve thought about all the mistakes, and missteps in my life and where they’ve brought me. I’ve thought about the people I’ve befriended over the course of these last five years and the countless families not as fortunate to be continually blessed with their children today, just the memories they have, fading. Then it came to me. As we live in this world, filled with what we come to know as life; as we grow, as we stumble and learn, the film that we form over ourselves to protect us from pain becomes so great that just being satisfied with the things of this world is the norm. Sitting here feeling absolutely defeated and empty, knowing that I am just grateful to make it home at the end of a long day to mindlessly unwind to hit the reset button and do it all over again, brought me to a complete sense of being and dedication.”

“After my daughter, being near death more times then I care to remember, she continues to push the limits of our understanding. If you look at each of her anomalies individually, her time here with us should of ended before birth. Yet. each one brings us to an understanding that something greater is in control. Someone greater. For those of you who’ve lost faith, are doubting, or have just given up and are comfortable living in a routine, let me tell you this. Each of your lives are divinely guided to ultimately help you return back to where you came from. If you have any doubt, look at the life of my daughter.”

“She was born with the absolute perfect amount of heart defects to help the oxygenated blood make it to every furthermost region of her body. Her chambers were referred to as “Swiss cheese,” by her doctors. Her gall bladder is inside of her liver. She has coded and stopped breathing more then once. She has been life flighted so many times its like Domino’s delivery. She has had so many surgeries and invasive procedures that the numbers of either you or I going through as many, is more than one in a 1,000,000. Yet when you look at just one alone, her gall bladder being inside of her liver, is so rare, it can’t even be numbered. This is only to mention a few. She mentions visitations of angels, and has seen the face of Jesus. So if I can offer you only one thing, it is this. If God loves each one of us this much to give us such a wonderful blessing as life, imagine how much more fulfilled you will be if you let go of the layers of film you’ve accumulated, to visibly see the miracles and blessings God places in front of you every day.”

The Gospel Of Repentance. I implore you, to please click the link.

Jonathan Heller – Lift Up A Banner