Heaven Rules over One Child’s Broken Heart

“Heaven rules.” Those two words are a lens for all of life. They remind us that God rules over everything.

Since the release of my book titled Heaven Rules, the world has substantially recovered from a global pandemic, and Robert and I have celebrated his clean bill of health after a bout with cancer. But new challenges have emerged, as they perpetually do in our broken world. Through it all, “Heaven rules” remains a sure and steady anchor for our souls.

“Even though I can’t see what He is doing, I am choosing to trust that God really is in charge of this ” situation in my life.

I’ve seen this message embraced in a moving way in the life of a friend named Susanna who attended the True Woman ’22: Heaven Rules conference. At the convention center we had a huge wall covered in purple paper where we encouraged women to use a marker to complete this sentence: “Heaven rules over ____,” and then to sign their name. They were affirming, “Even though I can’t see what He is doing, I am choosing to trust that God really is in charge of this situation in my life.”

Someone sent me a picture of my friend, a pastor’s wife and mom of three littles, signing that wall, as thousands of women did through the course of the weekend. She wrote, “Heaven rules over Strad’s heart.”

Strad is Susanna’s three-year-old son who was born with a congenital heart issue. He has had multiple surgeries and his expected prognosis, apart from supernatural intervention, is eventual heart failure. This family lives never knowing how long Strad’s heart will hold up; yet this sweet momma stood at that wall and wrote “Heaven rules over Strad’s heart” and then signed her name.

The photo that captured that moment is a stunning expression of faith. So much so that I had it framed, along with the words that appear on the cover of the book, Heaven Rules: Take courage. Take comfort. Our God is in control.

Recently I presented that framed piece to Susanna and her husband, who was holding three-year-old Strad in his arms. She burst into tears; Shawn was tearful. She told me that that moment at True Woman was an “Ebenezer” (1 Sam. 7:12) for her, a place to commemorate God’s faithfulness.

This sweet family is still having to walk by faith every day. It’s not a one-and-done thing for them, nor is it for any of us. But because Heaven rules they can live with certainty that in the midst of the unknowns, God loves them, He loves their precious son, He is good, and He is acting on their behalf to do whatever will bring Him the greatest glory.

Whether it’s a sick child or a sick culture, there are many reasons to default to anxiety, anger, or discouragement. Yet, now and forever, God’s people can find daily courage and comfort as we remember that:

The Lord sits enthroned
     over the flood;
the Lord sits enthroned,
     King forever.
—Psalm 29:10