where waves grow sweet

When going through our garage for our imminent move, I came across the carseat Chase used before his current booster seat. If you are a parent (and maybe even if you’re not), you know there are seemingly endless options to consider when buying anything for a baby. Car seats are no exception. There are so many brands and styles, it can be daunting to choose. Some boast extra comfort and easy cleanability (if that’s not a word, it should be), while others offer perks like cup holders or eye catching fabric.

As I researched this purchase, I read not only the descriptions provided by the manufacturers (who are trying to sell something), but also sifted through dozens of reviews by people who had actually used each car seat. Many referred to the perks mentioned above, all of which appealed to me, but the reviews on one particular seat spoke of something more significant: The safety of their baby because of this car seat. Two moms in particular spoke of harrowing car crashes they experienced with their baby in this seat. One rolled her car multiple times and broke her back, but her baby was unscathed. I don’t remember the specifics of the other, but it was equally dramatic – and the baby was also unharmed.

I did no further research. I was sold. The Recaro it was. It had no cup holders, was a bear to clean and offered no eye catching fabrics; just a simple, solid black seat to keep my baby safe. Fortunately I never had any accidents to test its safety, but I put my trust in it and drove confidently because of the real-life stories of these women who had.

This is really why I chose Jesus too. There weren’t many bells and whistles about Him to catch my eye or entice me, but I’d crashed enough to know I needed more than a nice looking, comfy seat for this journey or somewhere to put my sippy cup. I needed safety. I needed something to put my trust in so that I would be covered in any future crashes, no matter how devastating. A huge part of choosing Jesus was the stories of others who had made it through the worst because of Him. People who walked away from impossible wreckages. People who retained joy when it should have been destroyed along with everything around them.

Can I tell you how very important this choice turned out to be? With the loss of my very precious son, Cole, my life tumbled and rolled, completely out of my control, with metal screeching and twisting around me, followed by a deafening silence. This was no insignificant fender bender. It should have destroyed me. But it didn’t. I was held so tightly as everything crashed around me. I was kept safe. Shocked and deeply saddened, but uninjured. Because of Jesus. This is the story I’ll tell. I hope that people will hear it – and those of so many others who have experienced His faithfulness – and choose Him, resting confidently in the tried and true safety He provides. 

My sister sent me this amazing song called Storyteller by Morgan Harper Nichols. If you have a chance, give it a listen. If not, here are the lyrics. It is my heart in a song…

On a Sunday evening
I’m looking back
over all the years
and where I’ve been

Looking at old photographs
I’m remembering
you were right there
and you have been ever since

With every page that turns
I see your faithfulness

Oh the mountain where I climbed
The valley where I fell
You were there all along
That’s the story I’ll tell

You brought the pieces together
Made me this storyteller
Now I know it is well, it is well
That’s the story I’ll tell

There were some nights that felt like
They would last forever
But you kept me breathing
You were with me right then

And all that you have done for me
I could never hold it in
So here’s to me telling this story
Over and over again

Oh the mountain where I climbed
The valley where I fell
You were there all along
That’s the story I’ll tell

You brought the pieces together
Made me this storyteller
Now I know it is well, it is well
That’s the story I’ll tell

You hold the broken
You hear my every cry, every cry
My eyes are open
I know that it is well, it is well

What is the story you’ll tell?