When it Rains

She could not hold her baby girl lying in the incubator. So, she prayed for God to hold her close.

One blistering afternoon in the summer of 1996 near her home in Irving, Texas, Danae was sitting in her mother's lap in the bleachers of a local ballpark where her brother Dustin's baseball team was practicing. As always, Danae was chattering non-stop with her mother and several other adults sitting nearby when she suddenly fell silent. Hugging her arms across her chest, Danae asked, "Do you smell that?" Smelling the air and detecting the approach of a thunderstorm, Diana replied, "Yes, it smells like rain." Danae closed her eyes and again asked, "Do you smell that?" Once again, her mother replied, "Yes, I think we're about to get wet, it smells like rain. Still caught in the moment, Danae shook her head, patted her thin shoulders with her small hands and loudly announced, "No, it smells like Him. It smells like God when you lay your head on His chest." Tears blurred Diana's eyes as Danae then happily hopped down to play with the other children.
 Before the rains came, her daughter's words confirmed what Diana and all the members of the extended family had known, at least in their hearts, all along. During those long days and nights of her first two months of her life, when her nerves were too sensitive for them to touch her, God was holding Danae on His chest and it is His loving scent that she remembers so well.

This is one of those rare internet stories that turns out to be true. Danae Blessing was born perilously premature. The doctors told her parents that she had little hope for survival and no hope for a healthy future. Thankfully, they were wrong! This story is one of miracles. Did God intervene in this infant’s struggle for life? Yes. But not all premature babies survive. So where is God in those circumstances?

It is impossible for us to know the mind of God. But we can always be assured that God is ever present in our lives. And in our very darkest times, God holds us close to his chest and in the safety of his arms. Next time you smell the rain, I invite you to do what I do. Close your eyes and breath in the loving embrace of God. That’s the miracle.

See you Sunday!
Missy