Float Her Basket Over the Sea

“maybe I push when I'm meant to be still. maybe I take it all too personal. Jesus, how to reconcile - the joyful noise, the ancient land, the tug from some invisible hand, the dying mother weaving bulrushes along the Nile . . .
. . . float her basket over the sea, here on a barren shore, we'll be waiting for . . a tailwind to bring us your sweet cry, don't you worry, child, I wrote you a lullaby. . .”
(Newsboy’s “The Orphan”)

Just like Moses’ mom in the ancient days had to watch her baby float over the sea, there is a sweet mama, daddy and big sister who had to let their baby float away today. Sweet little McKenna Joy left this world of pain and so much love this morning.

McKenna was diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy back in November. She wasn’t given long to live. Her family, grandparents and friends have been loving her every precious minute since then. McKenna was like a grandchild to my best friend, Rene’. You're in my heart, Rene'.

In our humanness, it is impossible to understand God’s ways. I don’t think Moses’ mother could understand what was going on with her precious baby. I don’t know how she let him go. Technically, I know God’s grace and mercy is how she did it, but I also know there was plain old obedience in there, too, and that requires self discipline, heartache, intense faith. I know this is exactly how McKenna’s family and friends will let her go. This is how they’ve managed through the last 5 months. But likewise, in their humanness, this has to be absolutely unfathomable. Pray for this family and all the families today who have grief on their doorstep.

Back to the lyrics. . . “we’ll be waiting for a tailwind to bring us your sweet cry…” I never heard McKenna’s sweet cry, but I’m waiting for that tailwind to bring us together someday.