Back in October of 2014, my SIC (sister in Christ and fellow junker/squirrel/snorter/wine drinker/ lover of all things western and |SR| related) sent this to me in the middle of the night. I asked if I could share it on the website. Since I have taken the site down and starting fresh, I’m sharing it again. Tiffany has such a tender heart for Christ and when she sends me something in the middle of the night, I know it is because she and Jesus have been up talking about it for some time. She called me this last weekend asking for the link because there was someone she felt who needed to read it. Reading it again, I think there are a number of people, including myself, who needed the reminder. I hope that you find something in her story to soothe your own heart, troubles, and/or pain.

So in one of my odd sleepless nights at 3 am, I was scanning Facebook trying to go back to sleep.  I stumbled across a story titled “Bucket List Baby”, so I read on.  This was a story about a young couple that discovered early on in their pregnancy, first one, that their baby would only develop a tiny brain, if one at all.  This baby will not have a developed skull on the top, basically because it will have no brain.  The baby cannot survive without a brain.  So this couple, with tons of love and faith in the Lord, decided to make a bucket list for their baby.  They traveled all kinds of cute places, taking photos of Mom’s belly, all throughout the pregnancy.  When it was discovered it was a boy, they name him Shane.  So baby Shane went to a Yankee game, a zoo, the beach, and so on.  At beginning of Fall, they painted Mom’s belly as a pumpkin.  The tried to video every time Shane moved in her belly and noted all of his hiccups, and random activity/habits.  I read every posting.  I couldn’t put it away.  Then I realized I was reading at the exact time she was in delivery.  I was being inspired by their faith in God, at the exact moment this woman was delivering a baby, she will only get to hold for a few hours.  The emotion was overwhelming for me.  I was in shock but I wasn’t crying – I was happy for them.  Why I thought?  This Bucket list Baby had over ½ million people following and praying for Baby Shane.  That in alone was astonishing to me – ½ MILLION PEOPLE – PRAYING!  You don’t hear about that on the news!  That is when God’s words started popping in my head – “He created us in the womb” Job 31:15, “He fashioned us in the womb” Psalm 127:3.  “Children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.”

I was learning so much more about God while this couple was delivering their baby.  God made a brainless baby a Saint!  He used the “strong heart” (doctors stated Shane had a strong heart) of this baby to fill his parents completely with the Holy Spirit and spread their faith to ½ MILLION PEOPLE!  WOW – these parents were so excited to get to have this baby.  They called Shane a perfect miracle.  Shane lived 4 hours.  He met every member of his family.  He was baptized. He cried.  He died peacefully in his mom’s arms.

Some people would say, “Why did God let his happen?”  “If God was so good, why does he let bad things happen?”

My answer is – Look at this example – God took a brainless baby and reached over ½ Million people in a matter of months.  Through our world of highly educated people, we can’t teach that many people in that short amount of time.  Our brains can’t handle it.  I now truly believe our brains get in the way of our relationship with the Lord.  All we need is a strong heart, full of love. “But now abide faith, hope, love these three; AND the greatest of these is Love!”  When you read Baby Shane’s story, that is the biggest thing you see is LOVE!  They loved each other, they loved their baby, and they loved God most of all.  Yes sad things happen here on earth but we may not always see the big picture of Why.  God will reveal it to us someday – Just keep a strong heart of love!

“And so you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive”  Genesis 50:20 “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there I am in the midst of them” Matthew 18:20

This baby Shane could have brought evil through depression, anger, resentment etc BUT God used it for good – to let his light shine through!  Shine through to over ½ million people.  Facebook can be used for evil daily, hourly BUT God used it for good – to share the love of Jesus, to over ½ million people.  You can’t tell me that isn’t church – we were gathered around this couple all over the world praying and thanking God for their faith & showing us the love of the Holy Spirit.  It says two or three gathered in my name – OVER ½ MILLION people were gathered through this journey, in the Lord’s name.

We are in a spiritual revolution.  Church is no longer just 4 walls – really it never was but now because of digital media – people are gathering in His name across religion, denominations, and nationality boundaries.  We can change the world – even a brainless baby named Shane knows that.  Thank you Jesus –

DeColores – Tiffany