1 Corinthians 5:7: Lightning Fast Faith

Yesterday we played Blind Man’s Bluff. It’s just like tag, only “It” is blindfolded. I was “It” first, of course. The second I put on my mask (which was one of those scarf-muff thingies you put around your neck), the kids scattered screaming and laughing. I kept my hands stretched way out in front because I knew I’d hit my head on the wall if I didn’t! Soon, I grabbed a little body racing by me and it was Asa’s turn.

He barely moved his little feet, just danced up and down laughing with glee. But he finally caught Lydia and she had to wear the mask. Lydia had her hands out way in front and didn’t stray too far from her first position. They loved reaching out to find their hidden prey!

After we played a few rounds, we sat on the ground to read 1 Corinthians 5:7,

We live by faith and not by sight.

It’s a simple little verse and I think one of the most fabulous word pictures in the Bible. After reading the verse a few times, I told them about a time my husband and I had to live by faith and not by sight:

When I found out I was pregnant with Lydia, I went to my first ultrasound with my parents and my husband. It was a celebration! But it soon turned into one of the worst days of my life as they could not find a baby inside me. The doctor told me I had probably miscarried and the baby was dead.

They suggested I come back a few days later to check my horomone levels and do a second ultrasound, but they didn’t sound very hopeful. My doctor told me not to eat breakfast the day of my next appointment in case they had to do surgery and take the dead baby from my body.

We were stunned. Our baby, dead?

The next day I went back to check my hormone levels. They had not gone up enough to give the doctors any hope of having a baby inside me.

That night, my husband and I stopped by our office because we remembered a list of Scriptures about healing we had there. When we got home that night, we laid on our bed and read through every one. The second verse was Exodus 23:25-26, “Worship the LORD your God, and his blessing will be on your food and water. I will take away sickness from among you, and none will miscarry or be barren in your land. I will give you a full life span.” And suddenly we knew that verse was for us–for our baby!

We continued to read the rest of the scriptures. We prayed them. That night I hardly slept and felt like I was dreaming those promises from God. In the morning, I refused to think of anything else but God’s promise to not miscarry. I refused to think about the scary what-if’s. And I ate breakfast in defiance of the doctor’s report.

When we got to the waiting room for the ultrasound, neither of us picked up a magazine. We didn’t watch TV. We prayed silently, remembering the Scriptures we had read the night before. We walked into the ultrasound room, not part of the women’s center which just happened to be closed that day, but a different department entirely—with a brand new ultrasound machine.

The technician began the ultrasound in a tiny dark room and within seconds she heard a heartbeat. My little girl was alive. My Lydia.

My husband and I could have trusted the doctor’s original death report. We could have believed what we saw. But we decided to believe and have faith in God’s Word and His promises. Maybe Lydia wasn’t dead and brought back to life. Maybe she was just too young to be seen on a sonogram. But if the circumstances had been even slightly different–the old utlrasound machine, an appointment the day before, the doctor may not have seen her and done surgery to kill her.

We believe God’s protection and healing power was made ready for Lydia because her parents (even brand-spankin’ new parents) decided to walk and live by faith in His Word and not by what our eyes saw and our ears heard.

Lydia and Asa love hearing this story, they’ve heard it many times. But I think somehow remembering the darkness of chasing each other with blindfolds on their eyes, made them (at least Lydia) understand it a little more. It reminded me of what it felt like those few days of fighting for Lydia’s life–complete uncertainty coupled with a small flicker of hope–knowing that Someone was out there for me.

Do you have a story of faith? A time when you had to use your lightning fast faith to walk with God even when your eyes told you otherwise? Tell it to your children! Pass on the gift of faith to them! Their faith will be increased and encouraged from hearing your story.