Praise God for this year of health!

I have it on my heart to praise our awesome and gracious Lord and Savior! A year ago today, we received a devastating phone call informing us that Kelsie's newborn screen showed that she had Cystic Fibrosis. I was overcome with all sorts of emotions, sadness and fear being at the top of the list. But, thanks to God, she has been the healthiest and happiest little girl this past year despite all the implications of this illness. She has only had one little cold that only lasted about 2-3 days and didn't have any complications from it at all. Still, we know that this will be a life long journey requiring daily management and we know that there will inevitably be some bumps along the way. But we also know that God will give us the strength we need each day. And if the day comes that we don't feel like we can do it, we know He will be there to carry us until we can get up on our feet again. We will trust in Him always knowing that He created Kelsie just as He would have her be. She is His perfect creation, CF and all. In fact, her illness makes her even more special. It gives her a way to demonstrate God's power on a daily basis, a way to show what God can do THROUGH her despite how the science says this illness could affect her. I don't yet know what talents God has given her but I have this feeling that He is going to use her in a big way one day. I can already tell that she is going to be a determined and strong willed person, and those will be qualities that will help her push through any challenges that come her way in the future. And though she is still small and only has one year of experience in this big world, she is already proving to be a tough little girl with a lot of personality. There is, no doubt, a purpose behind her illness. We may never know what it is on this side of heaven, but regardless, we will still give Him all the glory for each ray of sunshine and yes, even each drop of rain.