Not Our First Quarantine

Our family’s first 60 days of quarantine happened 3 years ago. My wife, Jourdan, was pregnant with our son and started to go into preterm labor about 3 months before the actual due date. After one whole week of being in labor and fighting against preterm birth, Jourdan was rushed from the antepartum wing at Beaumont Royal Oak into an emergency C-section to deliver our baby. On May 20th, 2017, weighing in at around 2 pounds, our son, “Babyboy A”, was born in a very dramatic fashion. The kid came so early that we didn’t even have a name picked out! We had recently moved to the area from the city of Chicago. Most of our belongings were in a storage unit. New place. New culture. New job. New church. Our situation felt fragile and traumatic. We had very little control and were uncertain of what our next steps would be.

Shortly after the delivery, I met my son in a quarantined room, wearing protective gear and a face mask, afraid of what would happen if I touched or breathed on him the wrong way. Sounds kind of like our current grocery shopping experience if you ask me. Our lives came to a very quick standstill. Jobs were put on hold. Finances were scarce. And we were left with many more questions than answers. We went on to spend 60 days in the NICU praying and fighting for our boy to come home… And now, 3 years later, we find ourselves praying and fighting after 60 days to leave our home… (there has to be a joke in there somewhere).

We eventually named our son, Isaac. Isaac, miracle son of Abraham and Sarah. Isaac, miracle son of Danny and Jourdan. Both brought into the world unexpectedly, when everything didn’t seem to go as planned, when timing was way off and under unprecedented circumstances. I remember the night we named him so vividly. I was rather uncomfortable having to hold this extremely fragile, two pound baby strapped to a bunch of tubes and wires skin-to-skin while also having zero clue what the future held for our family and for the life of our child. I wanted control. I wanted to take his pain and setbacks away. We finally had our son and we finally had a name for him and it was as if God was asking us to let him go and trust that He was in control. We wept that evening.

I imagine Abraham experienced a similar kind of anguish in Genesis 22 when God commanded him to bind his son up and sacrifice him on an altar in the land of Moriah. Yet, through Abraham’s reverence, obedience and trust, God was faithful and spared his son. Similarly, God brought us out of a completely helpless situation where we had to place complete trust in Him. Through God’s faithfulness, we have now been able to celebrate 3 very healthy and happy years with our son, Isaac, and our new baby daughter, Elena. The Lord has blessed us beyond measure and we are thankful for the opportunity to worship Him as we watch His plan for us unfold.

God is good. God sees our situations through. God is mighty to save. (Zephaniah 3:17) Blessed are those who hear the word of God and obey it. (Luke 11:28) Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. (Proverbs 3:5)

I think about our last 60+ days that we all have been enduring. Isolated. Quarantined. Anxious. Alone. Uncertain. Over-it. Exhausted. Plans destroyed. Jobs lost. Family and friends lost. Dreams put on hold. Sacrifices made. And so much more… But the good news is that because of Jesus, God is always by our side. God’s timing is perfect. He will not fail us. He will never leave us or forsake us.

Thanks for letting me share and reflect. I love how God’s timing worked this all out to post this on Isaac’s birthday! I hope that God speaks through my words and the story of our family. Praying that you find encouragement during this time.

Please pray this with me: Lord, we thank you that you are in control. We thank you that your ways and timing are flawless. We pray that you would speak to us and teach us something new through this experience. Might we be primed to receive your word and respond with obedience and trust. Amen.