When Nothing Else Matters

Perspective is gained through tragedy- a cruel master of instruction, however invaluable it may be. My nephew, Silas Josiah (whose name alone would complicate a conversion outside of Christianity) arrived enviably early, proving the adage, be careful for that which you wish. Escaping three weeks of pregnancy appeared a gift until his labored breathing signaled the immaturity of his lungs. In the ensuing days of stifling sadness, our family was gripped with the horror of watching his life teeter precariously in the balance.  Waiting to exhale, our tears christened his NICU cradle where his fledgling existence was marked by the beeps of his dual ventilators.  It was at his technologically-sustained bedside that one recognizes that nothing else really matters but this.  

This being life. This being human dignity. This being an image-bearer of His Creator.

Were I given to dribbling sentimentalism and poetic meanderings, I would indulge a more descriptive account of the unfolding of these dread-filled days and how my many trifling anxieties about parking and politics and pedicures shamed me.   However, I would be erringly remiss not to commend my sister whose bravery and resiliency were as unswerving and sustaining as her assurance in the sovereignty of God. Even as her heart broke with agonizing repetition, even in the midst of her sorrowful grief, she clung to the truth of God’s word and her confidence in His goodness, despite the depths of her despair.   

Laughter has been sacred these past few weeks, a welcome, but hesitant friend who lightens the weight of watery sadness, which had sodden our spirits. A few pictures capture the elusive hope of a stolen smile.  

It is Silas who compels one to grapple with the scars left by sin upon this fallen world. It is Silas who tests the merit of one’s faith in a God who sometimes permits death to win. It is Silas whose breathing inspires joy beyond compare. It is Silas who reveals the character of attentive family and friends alike. And it is Silas who reminds that nothing else matters as much as life and its living.

Drew Got Trapped in Tanning Bed

The Face of Guilt

The (Cool) Kid's Table at the Harkins' Wedding

"Perry for President in 2012"

Andrew and one-sided love handle