Brokenness is part of parenting a child with special needs. Guest blogger Stephanie Ballard is here with a poem about how God used the seed of brokenness to grow her faith and reveal the beauty of her son’s life.

Stephanie’s Seeds of Brokenness

I was 22 weeks pregnant with my son Braeden when the high risk doctor that I had been referred to gently took my hand in his and sighed. “I have some distressing news,” he said. The ultrasound had revealed that my unborn son would be born with a serious heart defect, and had a very high risk of having other genetic abnormalities. The doctor was quick to point out various areas of concern on the monitor. “His liver looks enlarged,” he said,” and I think he may be missing a kidney as well.”

“What can we do?” I asked him tearfully, and he began speaking about “quality of life” as he handed me a referral to a pediatric cardiologist.

“I’m so sorry dear,” were his parting words…”good luck to you.”

I was distraught as I left that doctor’s office, the words “quality of life” echoing in my mind in the weeks and months to come. I found the peace I had been seeking when my son was born several months later. When I finally held him in my arms for the first time, his fragile little body pressed against mine, I realized something of the utmost importance. God can bring beauty into our lives through brokenness. Braeden is eight years old today, and I am fond of reminding him that God loves to grow miracles in the midst of impossible circumstances.

Broken

The farmer told his wife one day…
“Well, spring is nearly here
Its time to plant some flowers
On that hilltop that lies near.”
And so he went right to the store
To buy the perfect seeds
Flowers of most every kind
To fit all of his needs.
And then they had to till the ground
Under the noonday sun…
They prepared the perfect field
Then marveled at all they had done.
Flowers would soon bloom here
Yellow…purple…blue
A meadow filled with glory
In every single hue.
And so the farmer held his seeds,
Which cost a pretty penny.
He said, just drop one at a time
As we do not have many.
And soon their chore was near complete
Each seed set in the soil
His wife said, “It’s well worth it,”
This day of work and toil.
And then she nudged her husband, asking.
“Is this seed okay?
It’s cracked right down the middle
Should I plant it anyway?”
“A seed like that won’t grow,” he said
Just throw it to the winds.”
And this is where the story of
The broken seed begins…

The days and weeks passed quickly
The garden, it grew grand
With sunshine and the gentle rains
And life from God’s own hand.
The farmer and his wife were proud
Of what they have achieved
Their garden was perfection
Most everyone agreed.

Meanwhile…
The little seed that they forgot,
Tossed by the farmer’s wife,
Decided that it must now fight
To have a chance at life.
God looked kindly on this seed
And said, in retrospect,
“They deemed you small and broken,
I say, ‘You are perfect.'”
And so the seed mustered its strength
And pushed out of its shell.
“I may be just a seed,” it thought.
“But I have a story to tell!”
And every drop of water
And sun that came its way
Made it that much stronger.
It would be a flower someday.

And then one day, it happened,
Much to the wife’s surprise
As she walked past the meadow
She could not believe her eyes.
The loveliest flower that she’d ever seen
Sat just beyond the trees.
She stopped what she was doing
And dropped down to her knees
“Surely, God is in the place,”
She said as tears fell free,
As only God Himself, could make
A thing of such beauty.

“A miracle it must be,”
She said, raising worn eyes above,
“A reminder of all that can grow
With God’s enduring love.”
And others came to see it, too.
This flower, oh so rare,
Red and gold, and violet.
They could not help but stare.
No one had seen it’s equal,
And no one would again.
A perfect testimony
Of what happens when one says, “I can.”

God looked down from heaven
A smile on His face.
This flower a reminder
Of His everlasting grace.
The petals were a rainbow,
Each color seemed to shine.
“Let those who see you marvel
And know that you are mine.”
Life may bring us heartache,
A trial, storm, or weed.
But God can grow a miracle
From just one broken seed.

But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise,
and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong.
Colossians 1:27

How Is God Growing You?

What seeds of brokenness is God coaxing into beautiful flower in your life and the life of your child. Leave a comment.

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