Perspective

I've heard it said many times, life is all about perspective. Well, for a little over a week now my little world has been shaken by this truth. My favorite football team may lose a game they should have won, but, it's still just a football game. I may spend days planning an amazing lesson that doesn't go off like I'd hoped, but, it's just one out of hundreds. I may have a no-good-horrible-very-bad day, but if I'm here writing about it, then I survived. You might be thinking, "Where did these thoughts come from?" Well, my friends, the blog world is crazy and it has deeply impacted my life this week.

It is amazing how reading one blog leads to reading another to another to another, until you have just about seen the whole internet. The blogging world has really become like a world-wide community where people literally share their lives with people they don't know and most likely will never meet. It is kind of strange actually, but, there are a lot of really smart, wise, and funny people out there who make it easy for you to get hooked.

In an effort to become more authentic, I'll admit it, I'm a blog lurker. I'll check on one of my friend's blogs and then click on a blog they read which leads me to another one. It unfortunately could go on for hours. Well, a little over a week ago I was reading Kristy's blog, which eventually led me to a blog about a newborn baby and family with unbelieveable faith and courage. At the time I discovered this family, the baby, Copeland, had just been born and they were rejoicing that she was alive and really doing quite well. You see, Copeland was born with Trisomy-18. Since there is no way I could adequately explain what that is, this is some information I found on the Trisomy-18 Foundation website:

Trisomy 18 (Edwards Syndrome) is a chromosomal abnormality where there is an extra chromosome present in every cell of the body. This is an example of where “the more the merrier” is not true. This extra chromosome means that every cell has extra information encoded into it. The extra information causes confusion in the way that the cells are formed and results in the potential malformation of all of the body systems. Just like with Down's Syndrome (Trisomy 21), there is a wide range of how this condition will play out (what the doctor's will refer to as your child's phenotype). Unfortunately because there is more information encoded on the 18th chromosome, the severity of this condition is greater than that of Down's Syndrome. Current studies show that while 1:1500 children will be diagnosed prenatally with trisomy 18, only half that number (or 1:3000) will be born alive at full term. Of those who survive to birth, only half will make it to two months of age, and only 10% will survive to their first birthday. Children who live can be an important part of their family and community, but are profoundly developmentally delayed.

So, every single cell in Copeland's body was effected by this condition. Her parents found out she had Trisomy-18 about three months before her birth. Can you imagine, rejoicing over the fact that you are going to have a baby in a few months and then suddenly finding out that if she is born alive at all, she will only live a short time? I have yet to experience the whole power of a parent's love for their child and all that good stuff, but still, I can't even begin to begin to begin to understand what news like that would do to me. That is why Copeland's story has intrigued me so much. The first night I found their blog I got all caught up and was totally blown away by this family's faith. While using their blog to pour out the truth of what was coming they simultaneously used it to proclaim God's sovereignty, His faithfulness, His goodness, and their unwavering hope in Him. I was hooked immediately. I checked their blog at least five times a day to check on her and to see how she was doing, sometimes even walking around my classroom with my iPhone in my pocket ready to check at any free moment. Her parents would post frequently with updates on how she was doing, if she was having a good day or bad day.

I will admit that I struggled deep in my heart with questions like, "How can they be so full of hope knowing what they know?" Or more importantly, "Why would God allow a little baby to be born just to die?" Last Tuesday night they celebrated her 1-week Birthday, knowing they would never get to share a real Birthday with her. Then Wednesday afternoon she was gone. A friend of mine who was also keeping up with Copeland broke the news to me. As I was driving home from church that night I was thinking about those questions I had been asking myself over and over. Then, like I've never really experienced before, I felt like God gave me an answer. Question: How can they be so full of hope knowing what they know? Answer: Jesus. Question: Why would God allow a little baby to be born just to die? Answer: Jesus.

God does and always will know exactly what He is doing, I will not. The Farley family rejoiced in the fact that while their time on Earth with Copeland was short, their time in Heaven with her, in perfect form, will last for eternity. While only for a short time, they loved her well. God knows exactly what it feels like to rejoice in the birth of a child only to have them die an undeserved death. And, just like the life and death of Jesus has completely changed my life, the little life of Copeland has also impacted me in a way that I hope I will never forget. This is just a temporary life and while I want to live it well and bring glory to God, my heart aches for home.

Yesterday was Copeland's Memorial Service and her family just posted the video they played and the letter they wrote to her. If you'd like to check it out, be warned, you will probably need some kleenex. Here is the link, Copeland Farley.

I'll end with this, no matter what happens on any given day, as long as I have Jesus, I have everything. I am thankful that God put some perspective back in my life this week.