As a pastor, I frequent tragic stories more often than most. It’s part of the job description. So if anyone has pumped their fist at God asking, “Why?” it’s those who walk in church leadership.

But for all our losses as humans–the impetus of which we invited wholesale into our earthly context, mind you–we still serve a powerful God who continually confronts my unbelief with the miraculous. And, I’m happy to say, I seem to be witnessing it more prolifically with every passing year.

Today I encountered one such story.

Alyssa has been coming to our church for 6 weeks. While her husband was (and still is) deployed, flying in Afghanistan, she was expected to give birth to their third child in April.

Until they discovered the baby girl had Edwards Syndrome.

Two intensive sonograms proved it beyond a shadow of a doubt:

“No hands. No feet. Carry-to-term still birth.”

The baby pictured above? Meet Libby Elyse, Alyssa & Sean’s baby girl, born just three months ago.

Perfectly whole.

Jesus still does miracles. ch:

UPDATE: Alyssa reminded me that Libby had multiple brain turmors as well. The tumors disappeared and hands appeared on the 32-week sonogram.

UPDATE: Alyssa Hennessy Hi! I’m Libby’s Mommy! The world has told me many things…

Diagnosis: 1998 Hodkins Disease Lymphoma, Stage 4. Survivable, not curable.

TRUTH: I’m 30 with no evidence of disease.Diagnosis: 2002 Ovarian inactivity. Probably because of chemotherapy. Probablity of being able to concieve is very slim, and if I did concieve, there was a high chance that the baby would have life threatening birth defects.

TRUTH: I have 3 healthy children.