By: Renee Ellinger
God equips us for where he calls us, going before us in all circumstances. Moses and the burning bush. Joseph in slavery. When Habakkuk was surrounded by destruction, he questioned God, wondering why he was allowing bad things to happen, and God answered back that He was using it to help bring hearts back to him. Habakkuk responded by reminding himself of God’s power and then telling himself that even if bad things happen, God is still God… and He is always good.
When Branson was in the NICU and we were told he might not make it, I was flooded with what if’s… It paralyzed me to the point that I felt like I couldn’t pray, almost like I couldn’t think. But God had already gone before us. He put a church family in my life and people prayed when I couldn’t. He put in place a friend for me that I didn’t even know yet. Through this one scary moment, God started a friendship for me, and that friendship led to the NICU prayer group, and that group has blessed me many times over….
Instead of living life as “what if”, we started to live life saying “even if”. Looking back at our NICU journey, I can still see the “what if” moments I went through, but now I see the "even if" moments even clearer. I learned that even if everything seems to be going wrong, God is still good and he has already put in place the people and support we need. And friend, his plans and provision were set in motion long before you and I even knew we would need them.
Renee is mama to four wonderful kiddos, and a two-time NICU mama. She is a registered nurse in the Emergency Department and a wife to a loving husband. Renee also serves on the Praying Through ministries board as Women’s NICU Director.