What If Your Blessings Come Through Teardrops?
Laura Story won a Grammy award for her song, Blessings, that was released in 2011. She and her husband Martin were married less than two years when his headaches were diagnosed as a brain tumor. Martin had been excepted to Grad school and her music career was just beginning when their plans were interrupted. After surgery Martin spent two months in the hospital and then huge adjustments had to be made. After years of disability not getting better they had to come to terms that their challenges weren’t a detour, but the road itself.
Her song Blessings asks a lot of ” what if” questions. When we pray for wisdom, protection, healing and then doubt God even hears us because we cannot see Him at work.
CHORUS
‘Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops?
What if Your healing comes through tears?
What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You’re near?
What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise?
We are told to pray and God will answer us. What we really hope for is that if we pray hard enough God will give us what we want. There is a problem with that mentality because it puts us in charge of the outcome. We are then praying that my will and my plans will prevail and that is not faith. I have been guilty of having that attitude until God humbled and quieted me to just trust Him.
In Luke 22:41-42 we are told Jesus prayed so hard his sweat fell like drops of blood. But gratefully He submitted to His Fathers will and we receive the blessings of His sacrifice.
And he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and knelt down and prayed, saying, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.
It is okay to grieve our losses – of all kinds. Then we come to a place where we accept our new kind of normal and trust in God’s promises and strength. Our son Jeremy was born with severe club feet and a “hole”in his heart. He came home from the hospital with little plaster casts on his feet and at six months of age had open heart surgery. He was so sweet but there was a measure of grief. It was after Jeremy started gaining weight and making milestones that we learned he had brain damage also. It took us several years of doctors, therapies and hope when we were bluntly told by the neurologist that basically, he will never be like his peers. There was a long quiet ride home.
Blessings will come through sweat and tears as well as good times. Our son never “caught up” with his same age peers. We tried to treat him like our other children and exposed him to sports through Special Olympics. He always loved music even when he was very small and he would sing along with his tape player. In High School he played drums in the band. I cannot tell you how much God has blessed and surprised us over the years. As an adult, Jeremy has sung the National Anthem at several Special Olympics events including before the Celtics game in Boston. We have met so many wonderful people with and without disabilities. People tell me, “Oh you have done a great job” but I try not to take any credit because it’s all from God.
I can identify with Laura’s story. Our blessings have come through many teardrops. Our home has always been a different kind of normal. Is life always easy now? Absolutely not. Jeremy lives at home and sometimes doesn’t process things well, manage money or drive. His special needs didn’t go away and I have health issues of my own. I have learned that blessings come in many ways and sometimes when and where you least expect them.
