This post has such deep meaning to me, particularly in this season of my life.
For almost 20 years I have faithfully cared for my medically fragile daughter whom was given a max life expectancy of 3-5 years.
The JOY of being her mother has been the greatest gift of my life. But the agony of caring for a 100% dependent child in every way for that long has equally taken its toll.
The seizures, the surgeries, the sleepless nights, the sadness of “what could have been” mixed with the Joy of just seeing her live to see another day.
It’s almost more than a mamas heart can take.
I have two more daughters now, ages 6 & 7, and nothing can prepare you for “mothering” one child in the dusk of their life, and two in the dawn of theirs.
We find ourselves in the wildness like Abraham now as we fight for her life, but question why that has to include relentless suffering as her body breaks down.
Wanting her to run to the arms of Jesus, but clinging to her to remain and fight as long as possible.
Being raised a Christian has given me a compass and truth for which I am so so grateful.
But I still find myself shaking my fist at points screaming “why her” she is so innocent?
Why does she have to shake and scream from the seizures, she has done nothing wrong?
Why? Why? Why?
Then I am reminded of what Jesus endured, and also what his father had to endure on OUR BEHALF. It quickly humbles and quiets the noise, and I am reminded that this is the mere definition of FAITH.
Can I TRUST God is still good?
Can I BELIEVE his purposes are greater than her (and our) suffering?
Can I HOPE for things to come when today is dark as night?
My faith is no longer just words in a good book. It is the desperate cry for understanding when nothing makes sense.
And in my often restless heart, I hear the “still small voice” reminding me...
HIS heart breaks more than mine at her suffering.
HIS hands are holding her broken spirit even when I cannot see them.
HIS love is deeper and wider than I can even imagine.
HIS mercy is never ending.
So I CHOOSE to get up and keep on walking, KNOWING ONE DAY IT WILL ALL MAKE SENSE.
And in my heart, I know there will be many souls that will celebrate with us in heaven because of having met and been impacted by a little girl who NEVER SPOKE A WORD.
So beautiful. We will pray for your strength and acceptance of What Is today or tomorrow. Thank you for sharing your heart. May God richly bless your care for all three of your children.
You are a HERO I have admired from afar. Amazing how in this time of great division and strife, the love of Jesus and the power of God is on display more than EVER.
I pray for those of you taking the arrows on the frontlines of this war. You give me (us) strength as well. We are TRULY all in this TOGETHER.
Throughout the sorrow and challenges of the Covid pandemic and the injections, I came to realize that you and so many others (doctors, nurses, lawyers, analysts, ordinary workers) do exactly as Jesus Christ commanded, to take up your cross and follow him.
Despite the cost, which for many means a loss of career, credentials, prestige, and income, you carried on and shined a light on the truth. In discussing this in our Bible study group we realize we are living in a modern day revelation of the meaning of Jesus’s words, which we never fully understood until now.
You and we all who live in faith, live in truth and do all we can to inform others and save of as many of God’s children as we possibly can. For Satan is fighting hard to corrupt the truth and to harm and kill even the children. We need to pray daily for the truth to continue to be revealed and for those who are responsible to be stopped and held accountable in this world.
May God Bless and Protect you and your family on this special Easter Day and in the days ahead.
😢 I just had a friend go through a very similar experience of having to let her daughter go to be with the Lord and I can’t even imagine the pain of that! I have two daughters myself. Aren’t we thankful for a father that loves us so much and sees and feels everything we’re going through and sometimes it seems impossible to take another step but when we learn to lean on his grace he brings us through! 🧡
That is a path few can walk; and yet they do. I work in long term care and I watch caregivers walk, and pause and pour themselves out. Take good care of yourself. Bless you.
I have always struggled with the “accolades” from many who claim “I could NEVER do what you do”. My response is “you don’t know that, you just weren’t given this path to walk”.
The truth is, no one would choose this. And I can recognize and give myself credit for the fact that I did choose LIFE as she was an “unplanned” pregnancy at a young age. I have CHOSEN her well-being over my own selfishness many times.
But, we can only know and understand the path we are walking, and mine is uniquely rewarding and devastating at the same time.
As we enter this season of unknowns for her, I lean into my faith in “what is to come” even harder. I choose to look death in the eyes and say, even THIS INCREDIBLE HEARTACHE cannot separate us forever.
And for the sake of my own health, my marriage, and my two other young daughters, I WILL GET UP AND WALK. Not on my own strength, that is for sure. But because I KNOW who holds tomorrow.
The encouragement I have gained from your alls’ love and kind words is truly amazing, and I humbly thank you. 🤍🙏🏼🤍
Yes, my wife contends with an autoimmune disease. And I confess, she is a better fighter than I. We had riden a roller coaster before covid, then covid. It has shown all of us our vulnerabilities, yet also God's never ending ability to carry. Enjoy your resurrection week!
I will be praying for you and your family that God will give you strength and wisdom and edification, and that you will know the breadth , the length, the height and the depth of the love of Christ DAILY. I can imagine the rewards you will have in heaven as will your sweet daughter! Praying right now that the Lord will allow me the privilege of knowing you and your family in heaven. Thank you for your testimony.
God bless you Natalie! Your daughter has the very best mother, handpicked by God. Your faith and beautiful words of strength and hope, and are very encouraging and eternal.
Thank you Dr.T for sharing that story, we all need to be reminded more often of our great GOD'S love for us, even Sacrificeing his own Son on our behalf, JESUS, no greater display of love has ever been shown to mankind, yes GOD loves us this is true.
Amen and Amen! Thank you dear friend!! You blessed me with this! We are off to the movie in a few minutes...how blessed we are!! God is SO SO SO good to us. Thank you Dr. Tenpenny for your words of encouragement and for your showing of faith. We all need Jesus. We all need to pray. We all need to confess our sins. We WILL ALL be forgiven. We all need to remember...God chose Israel...WE the people of The United state of America...chose God. He is faithful. To God be all the glory. Much love to all.
The scripture doesn’t say that he was told to burn his son to death. It says that he laid him on the altar and took hold of a knife to slay him but then the Lord intervened. 🧡
He said, “Take now your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah, and **offer HIM there as a burnt offering** on one of the mountains of which I will tell you.”
Whether Isaac (or the ram) is killed the burned or burned before completely dead, the point of this entire post is: could you (or me) sacrifice your CHILD to prove your faith?
In verse seven Isaac said to Abraham my father and Abraham said here I am my son. See here are the fire and the wood but where is the lamb for the burnt sacrifice. Then Abraham said that God would provide the lamb and then in verse nine it says Abraham built an altar laid the wood there and bound Isaac and laid him on the altar and in verse 10 Abraham stretched forth his hand and took hold of the knife to slay his son and verse 11 the angel of the Lord called to him which we believe to be Jesus A for angel from heaven and said do not slay or lay your hand on the ladd or do anything to him. 🧡
I have an idea...let's completely miss the point in the name of puffing our ego and when we face Jesus we can tell him how righteous we were in slamming someone for not correctly getting the method of death right in the story of Abraham. You can imagine how that will go.
I am really wondering why in the world you felt the need to be so very very rude with your comments?! To share differing understanding of what the Scriptures say and share back-and-forth should be no issue for two people who love Jesus! I believe you were totally out of line Stewart and so I am going to choose to forgive your attitude and ignore you!
Could I humbly ask you to go and read my comment on this same thread?
Nor for my accolades, but for PERSPECTIVE. We need unity in love, not squabbles over things that really don’t matter in the end. I am so weary of those of faith tearing into each other. This is what gives Christians a bad name, chastising others under the banner of “Jesus”. 🙏🏼
Wonderful reading thank you. I do my best to follow Jesus’ words and follow his request at the last supper......After giving thanks, he broke [the loaf] and said: ‘This means my body which is in your behalf. Keep doing this in remembrance of me.’”—1 COR. 11:24.
You have to think, they were a dozen exit ramps for this decision. Yet he went, with all his tripediton and faith. Sometimes it seems too much, for us. Who are we, to be given all that?
Very grateful to Abba for giving his son as a sacrifice So that through it he could bring many sons and daughters to Himself! 💚💚 I certainly meant no offense in my last comment in sharing what I read in the Scriptures. 🤗
I also believe this story is testing Abraham's faith/loyalty. Would he really serve/obey God even if it cost him his own son?
That is a question for all of us today. Will we really serve/obey God if it costs us everything? If it costs us our families, our friends, our children? Will we bow the knee to political correctness instead? Will we acquiesce to the trans community? Will we normalize the abominable sin of homosexuality? Will we link arms with the wicked simply for political solidarity? Will we remain silent about altering DNA to all those who've done exactly that?
What if our own son or daughter was caught up on these satanic snares? Would we sacrifice that relationship to remain faithful, firmly planted on God's side against evil; even evil playing out in our adult children?
This post has such deep meaning to me, particularly in this season of my life.
For almost 20 years I have faithfully cared for my medically fragile daughter whom was given a max life expectancy of 3-5 years.
The JOY of being her mother has been the greatest gift of my life. But the agony of caring for a 100% dependent child in every way for that long has equally taken its toll.
The seizures, the surgeries, the sleepless nights, the sadness of “what could have been” mixed with the Joy of just seeing her live to see another day.
It’s almost more than a mamas heart can take.
I have two more daughters now, ages 6 & 7, and nothing can prepare you for “mothering” one child in the dusk of their life, and two in the dawn of theirs.
We find ourselves in the wildness like Abraham now as we fight for her life, but question why that has to include relentless suffering as her body breaks down.
Wanting her to run to the arms of Jesus, but clinging to her to remain and fight as long as possible.
Being raised a Christian has given me a compass and truth for which I am so so grateful.
But I still find myself shaking my fist at points screaming “why her” she is so innocent?
Why does she have to shake and scream from the seizures, she has done nothing wrong?
Why? Why? Why?
Then I am reminded of what Jesus endured, and also what his father had to endure on OUR BEHALF. It quickly humbles and quiets the noise, and I am reminded that this is the mere definition of FAITH.
Can I TRUST God is still good?
Can I BELIEVE his purposes are greater than her (and our) suffering?
Can I HOPE for things to come when today is dark as night?
My faith is no longer just words in a good book. It is the desperate cry for understanding when nothing makes sense.
And in my often restless heart, I hear the “still small voice” reminding me...
HIS heart breaks more than mine at her suffering.
HIS hands are holding her broken spirit even when I cannot see them.
HIS love is deeper and wider than I can even imagine.
HIS mercy is never ending.
So I CHOOSE to get up and keep on walking, KNOWING ONE DAY IT WILL ALL MAKE SENSE.
And in my heart, I know there will be many souls that will celebrate with us in heaven because of having met and been impacted by a little girl who NEVER SPOKE A WORD.
Praise be to God. I can rest in this PROMISE. 🤍
So beautiful. We will pray for your strength and acceptance of What Is today or tomorrow. Thank you for sharing your heart. May God richly bless your care for all three of your children.
You are a HERO I have admired from afar. Amazing how in this time of great division and strife, the love of Jesus and the power of God is on display more than EVER.
I pray for those of you taking the arrows on the frontlines of this war. You give me (us) strength as well. We are TRULY all in this TOGETHER.
God bless you Dr. Tenpenny. 🙏🏼
thank you. humbling.
Throughout the sorrow and challenges of the Covid pandemic and the injections, I came to realize that you and so many others (doctors, nurses, lawyers, analysts, ordinary workers) do exactly as Jesus Christ commanded, to take up your cross and follow him.
Despite the cost, which for many means a loss of career, credentials, prestige, and income, you carried on and shined a light on the truth. In discussing this in our Bible study group we realize we are living in a modern day revelation of the meaning of Jesus’s words, which we never fully understood until now.
You and we all who live in faith, live in truth and do all we can to inform others and save of as many of God’s children as we possibly can. For Satan is fighting hard to corrupt the truth and to harm and kill even the children. We need to pray daily for the truth to continue to be revealed and for those who are responsible to be stopped and held accountable in this world.
May God Bless and Protect you and your family on this special Easter Day and in the days ahead.
Thank you for all that you do!
😢 I just had a friend go through a very similar experience of having to let her daughter go to be with the Lord and I can’t even imagine the pain of that! I have two daughters myself. Aren’t we thankful for a father that loves us so much and sees and feels everything we’re going through and sometimes it seems impossible to take another step but when we learn to lean on his grace he brings us through! 🧡
Thank you for your kind words. 🤍
That is a path few can walk; and yet they do. I work in long term care and I watch caregivers walk, and pause and pour themselves out. Take good care of yourself. Bless you.
I have always struggled with the “accolades” from many who claim “I could NEVER do what you do”. My response is “you don’t know that, you just weren’t given this path to walk”.
The truth is, no one would choose this. And I can recognize and give myself credit for the fact that I did choose LIFE as she was an “unplanned” pregnancy at a young age. I have CHOSEN her well-being over my own selfishness many times.
But, we can only know and understand the path we are walking, and mine is uniquely rewarding and devastating at the same time.
As we enter this season of unknowns for her, I lean into my faith in “what is to come” even harder. I choose to look death in the eyes and say, even THIS INCREDIBLE HEARTACHE cannot separate us forever.
And for the sake of my own health, my marriage, and my two other young daughters, I WILL GET UP AND WALK. Not on my own strength, that is for sure. But because I KNOW who holds tomorrow.
The encouragement I have gained from your alls’ love and kind words is truly amazing, and I humbly thank you. 🤍🙏🏼🤍
Yes, my wife contends with an autoimmune disease. And I confess, she is a better fighter than I. We had riden a roller coaster before covid, then covid. It has shown all of us our vulnerabilities, yet also God's never ending ability to carry. Enjoy your resurrection week!
I will be praying for you and your family that God will give you strength and wisdom and edification, and that you will know the breadth , the length, the height and the depth of the love of Christ DAILY. I can imagine the rewards you will have in heaven as will your sweet daughter! Praying right now that the Lord will allow me the privilege of knowing you and your family in heaven. Thank you for your testimony.
He KNOWS MY NAME, and YOURS TOO. So I have full faith he can arrange that meeting. 😉
But in all seriousness, your words breathe life in my weary and broken soul. This is so incredibly hard, and I need laughter like I need Jesus.
Thank you for taking the time to respond. It really does have an impact. 🙏🏼
God bless you Natalie! Your daughter has the very best mother, handpicked by God. Your faith and beautiful words of strength and hope, and are very encouraging and eternal.
I am blessed by you as well. May my heartache show others there is strength in FAITH.
🤍🦋🤍
Thank you Dr.T for sharing that story, we all need to be reminded more often of our great GOD'S love for us, even Sacrificeing his own Son on our behalf, JESUS, no greater display of love has ever been shown to mankind, yes GOD loves us this is true.
Bless you Dr Tenpenny,
God is LOVE
👍🧡🤗 exactly right! I just tend to spot things like that and call it out. I meant no harm and certainly hope I didn’t offend you!
Thanks for writing this, Dr.
Tenpenny. You are truly a model of strength, integrity, and faith. I feel my own faith grow from all you share and model. 🙏 Bless you!
Amen and Amen! Thank you dear friend!! You blessed me with this! We are off to the movie in a few minutes...how blessed we are!! God is SO SO SO good to us. Thank you Dr. Tenpenny for your words of encouragement and for your showing of faith. We all need Jesus. We all need to pray. We all need to confess our sins. We WILL ALL be forgiven. We all need to remember...God chose Israel...WE the people of The United state of America...chose God. He is faithful. To God be all the glory. Much love to all.
The scripture doesn’t say that he was told to burn his son to death. It says that he laid him on the altar and took hold of a knife to slay him but then the Lord intervened. 🧡
This is the EXACT scripture: Genesis 22:2
He said, “Take now your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah, and **offer HIM there as a burnt offering** on one of the mountains of which I will tell you.”
So, isn't that burning him to death?
Whether Isaac (or the ram) is killed the burned or burned before completely dead, the point of this entire post is: could you (or me) sacrifice your CHILD to prove your faith?
In verse seven Isaac said to Abraham my father and Abraham said here I am my son. See here are the fire and the wood but where is the lamb for the burnt sacrifice. Then Abraham said that God would provide the lamb and then in verse nine it says Abraham built an altar laid the wood there and bound Isaac and laid him on the altar and in verse 10 Abraham stretched forth his hand and took hold of the knife to slay his son and verse 11 the angel of the Lord called to him which we believe to be Jesus A for angel from heaven and said do not slay or lay your hand on the ladd or do anything to him. 🧡
I have an idea...let's completely miss the point in the name of puffing our ego and when we face Jesus we can tell him how righteous we were in slamming someone for not correctly getting the method of death right in the story of Abraham. You can imagine how that will go.
I am really wondering why in the world you felt the need to be so very very rude with your comments?! To share differing understanding of what the Scriptures say and share back-and-forth should be no issue for two people who love Jesus! I believe you were totally out of line Stewart and so I am going to choose to forgive your attitude and ignore you!
Could I humbly ask you to go and read my comment on this same thread?
Nor for my accolades, but for PERSPECTIVE. We need unity in love, not squabbles over things that really don’t matter in the end. I am so weary of those of faith tearing into each other. This is what gives Christians a bad name, chastising others under the banner of “Jesus”. 🙏🏼
Wonderful reading thank you. I do my best to follow Jesus’ words and follow his request at the last supper......After giving thanks, he broke [the loaf] and said: ‘This means my body which is in your behalf. Keep doing this in remembrance of me.’”—1 COR. 11:24.
You have to think, they were a dozen exit ramps for this decision. Yet he went, with all his tripediton and faith. Sometimes it seems too much, for us. Who are we, to be given all that?
Very grateful to Abba for giving his son as a sacrifice So that through it he could bring many sons and daughters to Himself! 💚💚 I certainly meant no offense in my last comment in sharing what I read in the Scriptures. 🤗
I also believe this story is testing Abraham's faith/loyalty. Would he really serve/obey God even if it cost him his own son?
That is a question for all of us today. Will we really serve/obey God if it costs us everything? If it costs us our families, our friends, our children? Will we bow the knee to political correctness instead? Will we acquiesce to the trans community? Will we normalize the abominable sin of homosexuality? Will we link arms with the wicked simply for political solidarity? Will we remain silent about altering DNA to all those who've done exactly that?
What if our own son or daughter was caught up on these satanic snares? Would we sacrifice that relationship to remain faithful, firmly planted on God's side against evil; even evil playing out in our adult children?