My husband and I teach a Sunday school class at the church that we attend and one of the things we like to help our children's pastor do is take roll each morning. It's a simple practice really, and I never really thought twice about it until one name appeared on that list that belonged to a very precious little niece of mine, whose name is Piper.
Last August when her name showed up on the roll, Piper and her parents were already half a year into the treatments that she had to undergo in order to treat the cancer diagnosis. Her immunity would have to be heavily guarded and I found myself thanking God for giving Piper the kind of parents that were more intuned to her medical needs than any I had ever seen before. As I scrolled through the list of kids that first promotion Sunday, realizing what it must have felt like for my brother and sister-in-law to not send their firstborn off to kindergarten hurt my heart. I remembered what it was like seeing my own boys off those days for the first time.
I looked back down on those list of children and instead of placing a checkmark next to Piper's name, I simply wrote,"God's will be done."
This morning, a beautifully dressed little girl with a long-flowing knit hat made to look like Belle from Beauty in the Beast walked into the children's department at Conway First church of the Nazarene. The other children, though careful about how to respond, rejoiced that the little girl that they have prayed for through her cancer journey, had arrived. A few commented that she had a cool mask on, and I could see her eyes smile beneath her medical mask as she realized that she was among her prayer warriors, and her friends.
The best part of the visit came when I bowed down next to my little niece and prayed during the altar time. I never would have thought that she was watching me or anything, but I realized that she had been when all of a sudden I felt the gentle wipe of a little hand across my face. It was Piper, and she was wiping away my tears. "Those are happy tears, Aunt Sarah, right? Happy tears, right?" she said.
Yes, my love. Those are the happiest tears I know.
Psalms 56:8 You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book.
Thank you, Father. For sending your precious little messenger to bring healing to my heart today.
