Family

Taken By Surprise

by Chandra Christie
08/31/23
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Taken by Surprise

Life has a way of taking us by surprise.  Our dreams either become reality, just remain a dream, or they take a turn in a way completely unpredicted.

I am a mother of three; two sons and one daughter.  My first son was born out of a time of deep confusion and rebellion against a household that upheld the Word of God.  Being wildly lost, I searched for the kind of love that can only be found in the arms of a loving heavenly Father and thought to have found it through another wildly lost soul.  It was a rather bleak wake-up call as I, and my unborn child, were rejected by this man who claimed to want to spend his life with me.  The choice was given:  Abort or break away.  I chose to break away.  What a life I chose!  My son was the path God used to bring life to my dead bones.  Wrecked and abandoned, crying out for help in my hopelessness, Jesus rescued me from the pit of my own doing.  This was surprising, no doubt, as I had been released from my own created prison and given a life that I could never create for myself.

Things began to make a turn for what I had envisioned as a young girl:  A bride to someone who did love me and had the capacity to show it. Not only did he love me, but he carried my first-born son under his wings and provided for him as well.  I married the man that only God could have planned for me.

My second child, a daughter, was finally conceived after the onslaught of three miscarriages and a trip to the genetics department to diagnose the problem.  Trusting God, we were given this bundle of joy only to find out after one week after birth that she had an unreversible, un-fixable disability.  This has been the haunting of our souls and we daily grapple with the goodness of God in it all.  Surprising, however, is the extraordinary ways God works in those places when all we have is broken hearts and desperate cries for understanding.  He is good and He does work all things together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to His purposes (Romans 8:28). 

Our third son was the silver lining.  He was the fulfillment of our dreams and our quiver was full.  But another surprise was on its way.  My first-born son and our daughter, together, brought in hurricane-like force winds of turmoil that wreaked havoc in the household.  My son took up the characteristics of rebellion as one who had been abandoned, and our daughter continually took a turn for the worse. For a solid five years she became a regular resident at the hospital.  How do we parent these children?  How do we get through all this?  Indeed, our hands were full with a mentally troubled youth, an infant child with a critical and bewildering disability, and a healthy, vivacious toddler who was carefree and delightfully normal.  The Father met us in ways that are beyond imagination and fully equipped us for the task at hand.  We did not just survive; for twenty plus years we clung to the hem of His garment, wrestling with Him, and came out as gold as we went through this fire.

Our lives can never be predicted nor can we ever know what lies around the corner.  Our new chapter has the word “empty-nester” in its contents.  Another uncharted path that twists and turns as it unfolds.  But the good news is, we serve a God who sees all and knows all.  Taken by surprise comes from our human frailty and lack of wisdom in the higher things.  What a comfort to know, in hindsight, that Ël-roi – the God who sees, (Genesis 16:13) has His ever-watchful eyes on us.  Nothing takes Him by surprise!