26 March | Youth
«His nurse took him up and fled. And it happened, as she made haste to flee, that he fell and became lame. His name was Mephibosheth.» 2 Samuel 4:4
Life doesn't happen by chance. No one is born without God's permission. Mariana came to this conclusion when, after a lot of trying, she finally became pregnant. At the hospital in Florida, they made her sign several papers. There was a high probability that the child would be born with Down Syndrome. She was told that the law allowed her to have an abortion if she wanted. But, inside herself, she prayed to God saying: “If the baby is born with this syndrome, it will still be my baby!”
At the third ultrasound, the exam room was filled with doctors. Then the news came: “Your daughter won't have Down syndrome, but she has a spot on her brain, a clot. There is nothing we can do.” Mariana was floored. That night there was no sleep and many tears. The next morning, in desperation, she called her father and asked him to pray to God for her to accept the situation. Her father refused: “My daughter, I’m going to pray for a miracle! I won't ask for less. Nothing is impossible for God!”
The father even insisted that she change the baby's name: “In the past, God changed people’s names and the direction of their lives. Believe!” Mariana cried out to God for mercy and, for two weeks, completely forgot about the matter (Isa 49:15). At the next ultrasound, there was no sign of the tumor! The “hopeless” child was given a new name. Victoria was born healthy and, to this day, it is perfect and healthy, to everyone's joy.
Unlike the girl Victoria, Mephibosheth's life, from the age of 5 onwards, appears to have been a complete failure. He was orphaned early and lived in hiding, fearing persecution and death. By order of King David, he finally left the “cave.” God's goodness reached him. For a long time, his life had revolved around a physical defect. However, God wanted it to revolve around the plans that Heaven had for him, a “beggar prince” who believed himself to be nothing more than a dead and crippled dog (2 Sam 9:8).
Mephibosheth and Victoria are examples of the impossibilities of life. God, however, rewarded them with undeserved blessings. Do you still doubt that He can love you just as you are and reach you, whatever the circumstances? Believe! The impossible is God's specialty.