There are some days (okay, a lot of days) that I want to put Lydia in a bubble. I want to shield her from pain, from heartache, from danger and from all the evil in this world… like acne and bad boyfriends, school bullies and job loss, drunk drivers and pretty much everything I see on the 6 o’clock news.

But I know that I can’t. I wish I could shield her from the pain, but if I do I will also keep her from the joy of living life. Because while this world has pain and a lot of it, it has even more joy. Joy like feeling sand between your toes and the taste of salt in your mouth as the waves crash around you. Joy like a smorgasbord of cheesecake after you finally finish the chemistry final. Joy like the moment you hold the baby you’ve been waiting for so long.

I am praying that one day Lydia will get to live in a bubble, a bubble where there is no pain. A bubble where we are all feasting and joy fills the air. A bubble called Heaven, a perfect place to spend eternity with our perfect and most Sovereign Lord. For now, I remind myself that God knit her together and He is her Protector. And I trust Him.