Yesterday.

Yesterday my wife and I took our two month old baby girl (Reese) to get her shots. Five shots in her tiny legs. Three in one…two in the other. To be honest, I didn’t want to go…but I sucked it up and went anyway. My wife held our baby as the nurse did the deed. I sat there next to her…powerless…as my child experienced pain unfelt before in her brief life. My wife cried. I cried. The nurse cried. I wanted to yell out “Stop!” I can only imagine what Reese was thinking…”What did I do?” or “Why aren’t Daddy and Mommy protecting me?” She had no way of knowing that what we were doing WAS protecting her. Even if we told her, she wouldn’t be able to understand it. I wished that I could somehow let her know that this was all for her benefit. That we still loved her…that we where allowing this to happen because we loved her. Then I remembered a question that I’ve been asked by a number of hurting people. A question you’ve probably heard or asked yourself: “How can a caring God allow so much pain in the world?”

I think I understand this a little bit better…after yesterday.

“And through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see. So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you have to endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.” – I Peter 1:5-7 NLT