Emery Claire

Recently I had the unique opportunity to spend several quiet and uninterrupted hours with a friend in Christ. We were working at a spiritual retreat and were both in the chapel at the same time waiting for another friend to complete a task.
Over that same weekend I had been in the chapel two times earlier for the same reason but with different people and, admittedly, I was a little tired of sitting and waiting. I was soon to find out that God had BIG reasons for me to be spending more time there.

Sophia is a few years wiser than me and as we sat and talked we realized we had much in common. Her son also has dyslexia. She shared with me his struggles while growing up, how they handled them and sympathized with the concerns I have for our daughter. However, she also gave me much hope and reassurance as she told me of his job as an insurance agent and the successes he has had in his life. Despite his learning difficulties, he is doing more than fine. He is doing great!

But this was not the only story we were meant to share that day. You see, Sophia's daughter had recently given birth to their grandchild, a precious little girl named Emery Claire. She was born with Down Syndrome. As any grandparent and parent will admit, the birth of a child with a chromosomal condition is not what they would have planned. Sophia shared the pain of learning that her grandchild would have Ds and the grief she suffered for the life her grandchild would have led. However, she also shared that through the birth of Emery Claire she has found great joy. This little girl is the apple of her eye, giving her a new perspective on life and God's purposes for all of us.

Emery Claire

God works in ways that none of us can understand. However, over the last few years I have come to realize He provides for us exactly what we need if we will simply trust Him and follow His lead. Through a myriad of circumstances, He put me and Sophia together that day to share our pain and struggles, but also our victories and our joys. Most importantly, He reminded us that although His ways are not our ways, they are infinitely better than anything our humanness could ever even imagine.

Isaiah 55:8-11

For my thoughts are not your thoughts,

neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.

For as the heavens are higher than the earth,

so are my ways higher than your ways

and my thoughts than your thoughts.

For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven

and do not return there but water the earth,

making it bring forth and sprout,

giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,

so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;

it shall not return empty,

but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,

and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.

Note: Look for more information about Emery Claire and Sophia in the upcoming book "Unexpected Gifts."