Death Sentence

Our faith can be strengthened as we rely on the promises of God and know that His presence is a
constant for the believer in Christ. Psalm 34 states:
17 The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears, And delivers them out of all their troubles.
18 The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, And saves such as have a contrite spirit.
19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the Lord delivers him out of them all.

When we face trouble, disappointment, or fear, we can recognize the love of God and His proximity to His people.  When our hearts are broken, we can bring our trouble to Him and allow Him to heal us.  In our multiple afflictions, we can turn to the deliverer; our deliverance may not come in the way we think it should, and it may be internal rather than external, but we can know His inner peace and experience His comfort.

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The sufferings we encounter provide opportunity to know the comfort of the Spirit and to perhaps
release the power of the Spirit to combat the work that could be destructive. 2nd Corinthians 1 states:
5 For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds through Christ.
6 Now if we are afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effective for enduring the same sufferings which we also suffer. Or if we are comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation.
7 And our hope for you is steadfast, because we know that as you are partakers of the sufferings, so also you will partake of the consolation.

I talk often on The Meeting House about being willing to share what God has done in our lives.  And, there is a story I came across at The Stream recently about a woman who took a severe tragedy - the loss of a child, and allowed it to propel her to walk with other families through their pain.

Sheryl Crosier had three boys, and had lost six other children in miscarriages.  Her young son, Simon, when he was three days old, according to the article...

...was diagnosed with Trisomy 18, or Edward’s Syndrome. Simon went into the NICU, the neonatal intensive care unit. In general, complications associated with the syndrome are fatal, but some patients live years after their diagnosis. It’s not as if his mom didn’t have a reason to worry. “[The doctor] would say weird things like ‘Maybe it’s time for Simon to go to heaven.'”

As the days progressed, more weirdness ensued.  Simon didn't seem to get the same amount of attention that the other babies in the NICU received.  Sheryl said, “We were not given any resources. All we were told was ‘He’s going to die. He’s going to die.'”  After 88-and-a-half days, he did.

Sheryl Crosier related: "It’s painful to see your three-month-old baby … looking at you so absolutely helpless. Here we are looking at these so-called experts that we paid for to be there and nobody’s doing a thing to help our child. So, nothing was done. There were no monitors beeping, they shut all that down. And then, it just got to the point where we’re just like, ‘What just happened here?'”  Then, she obtained Simon's medical records: she discovered that there was a "Do Not Resuscitate" order in effect; he was only scheduled for "comfort feeds," insufficient for nourishment.  She is quoted by The Stream, "We know that our parental rights were pretty much stripped away. Someone else decided that his life was disposable.”

But even though she went through what was referred to as "deep, dark grief," Sheryl discovered a new purpose in her life.  She found a support group and began to help other families affected by the disease. She wrote a book called, I Am Not a Syndrome: My Name is Simon. She has spoken on behalf of Simon's Law, described as "a bill that requires hospitals to obtain parental consent before putting a DNR order in a child’s medical chart." The article says, "Some states have passed it and others are working to do so. She also speaks at Right to Life events."

But, in the midst of it all, Sheryl knew God was with her. The article quotes her as saying, “Life becomes — it can become very dark. And we know this life is difficult but you just hang on, you know? ‘I’m holding onto your coattails, Jesus! Okay, you’re going to get me through this. We’re going to keep on going.’” But, she says that she "can see the beauty" in what she's experienced. She relates, "I can’t bring my Simon back, but if we can save another life it’s all worth it.”

This is certainly a heartbreaking story, but Sheryl Crosier didn't allow herself to become permanently paralyzed, and that could indeed help other parents and their children in the future.  I would dare say that there is a time for comfort, and there may be a time for combat - to change unjust policies or laws and make them better, as God directs.  Certainly, she grieved the loss of her precious Simon, but Simon's short life has energize her life.

We can be motivated to discover purpose out of turbulence; we can develop a sense of determination to grow from lessons that we have learned, and perhaps to even share those principles with others.

As Sheryl suggested, we can learn to "see the beauty" in the suffering we experience.  God will be near to us in our times of trouble and He will do His intended work as we allow Him to be glorified in our difficulties.  We can grow stronger in our walk with Christ as we acknowledge that He is with us and in us and actively accomplishing His purposes.