Phnom Penh Pals: Team Helm in Cambodia

I've always been skeptical of modern day miracles.  To me, Christian "healing" conjured up images of television evangelists wearing too much hair product and soliciting unsuspecting victims to "plant a seed of faith for only $1,000" to somehow coerce God into supernatural intervention.  I used to  listen to testimonies in church with what I considered well-placed medical skepticism.  Certainly there were therapeutic interventions and diagnostic errors that accounted for most purported cases of healing, But one week ago, I had a first hand encounter with a real life, modern miracle.  Today, I am holding him as I type.  His name is Josiah, which means "Jehovah has healed".  We initially chose Josiah as our "boy" name after (arguably) the most godly Biblical king; Josiah was appointed at age 8, sought God seriously at age 16, and conducted a nationwide religious reform at age 20.  The name also reflected the healing surrounding our child's c

Completely in awe that this gift of new life has come to us.  Along with the miracle of God's healing, it is almost too much to put into words... though I will attempt soon.  Our hope remains in Christ Jesus, through whom we have received every good gift.  We pray that Josiah's life will forever make much of our great God.

On one of my (multiple) trips to the bathroom last night, I knelt by the baby's crib to pray.  I asked God to bless our child with a deep knowledge of the Holy.  I prayed that this unborn life would be used to preach the Gospel to many.  I asked God to make Himself real to this child, every day of his or her life. And I realized: really, nothing matters about how we raise our children, if at the end of they day they do not know and love the Lord.  No career, no spouse, no achievement will satisfy our children.  Asking for anything besides God's presence in this child's life, at this point, seems silly and counterproductive. If He does not go with us, I pray He does not send us out of this season of need and dependence.  If He is not leading, we would be wise not to take another step. These past few weeks, I have felt God answer the majority of my prayers with the same two words:  I AM.  God, please heal this child. I AM.  God, teach me to trust You more. Increase my faith.