We Believe

Ryker recently finished his second week of school.  Preschool, that is.  And, while he is very excited about all of his new friends and has come home from school with a smile on his face each day, towards the end of his second week I think the schedule change started to hit him.

Instead of going to school, he wanted to stay home and play cars with Maverick.  He didn't understand why he had to leave each morning when all he wanted to do was play.  As a result, I packed him up into the car kicking and screaming and none too happy to leave Maverick (or his coveted blue Lightning McQueen car).

On our drive to school, through Ryker's tears, I asked him if he wanted to pray about his day.

"NO!" He quickly replied.  

Being three is tough.

Being a mom to a three year old throwing a tantrum is tougher.

I prayed anyway, then I rolled down the windows, tried to make him laugh, and tried my usual tricks to get him to stop crying so he could be excited for his day.  Unfortunately, nothing worked.

Suddenly, through his frustration (and mine) I remembered: "We Believe."

"We Believe" is a song by the Newsboys, and it was a song I loved so much that I played it throughout my WHOLE pregnancy with Ryker, because as you probably know, babies can hear from the womb (as early as 18 weeks!).

Ryker seemed to like it too.  He danced in my womb every time the song played for him.  It truly was something special.

One evening, when Ryker was a newborn, he was really crying and Adam and I -- newbie parents -- were struggling to get him to stop.  In that moment I thought, "I wonder if he'll remember 'We Believe.'"  So, I turned the song on as quickly as I could, and instantly Ryker calmed down.

It was magical.

Any time Ryker was really struggling, we turned on "We Believe," and Ryker would be happy.  It was definitely his favorite song!

When Ryker was six weeks old, Adam and I (with Ryker in tow) volunteered at a large political event in Des Moines, Iowa leading up to the 2016 election.  The Newsboys were performing at this event, and we were SO excited for Ryker to hear his favorite band in person!

Midway through the event, Adam, Ryker and I took a seat in the very back of the event center so we could help take care of Ryker.  As we were sitting there and Ryker was kicking his feet on the chair, an Australian voice came up behind him and said, "Wow he is precious! How old is he?"

Adam and I looked up to say "thank you" and proudly talk about our little baby boy, when we both realized who it was:  Duncan Phillips, the drummer for the Newsboys!

We couldn't believe it.

Ryker meets the Newsboys!

We told Duncan our story about Ryker and how "We Believe" was his favorite song.  Duncan asked to hold Ryker, played with him, and we all got a photo together.  It was AMAZING.  To top it off, that night they finished their performance with none other than "We Believe."

We relished in that awesome moment.

What we didn't realize, however, was how critically important that song, and its meaning, would become to our family.

Just two months later Ryker would be diagnosed with Joubert Syndrome.

He would endure countless doctors' appointments, poking, prodding, therapy sessions, and more, and we had "We Believe" on repeat everywhere we went.  It truly calmed him through the most difficult appointments.

And do you know what?  It calmed me too.

It reminded me that despite the unknowns, despite the fear, despite the heartache -- WE BELIEVE.

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​We believe in God the Father
​We believe in Jesus Christ
​We believe in the Holy Spirit
And He's given us new life
We believe in the crucifixion
We believe that He conquered death
We believe in the resurrection
And He's coming' back again, we believe

We Believe because we KNOW God is real.  We feel His presence every day, and, if you've read any of my posts before, you know He's worked miracles in Ryker's life.

Is the journey still hard?  You bet.

Is it scary?  No doubt about it.

Am I afraid?  Absolutely not.

Why?  Because WE BELIEVE.

So let me bring you back to the beginning of this post and Ryker's tantrum on the way to school...

I hit my radio and turned on "We Believe," and instantly Ryker calmed down.  Instantly he gave me a smile, and a sweet peace come upon him.

We pulled up to school, I gave him a hug and a kiss, and I said, "Are you excited for school, buddy?"  He grinned at me and said, "Yeah!" Then headed off hand-in-hand with his teacher ready to conquer the day.

He believes.

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​"If you declare with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.  For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved."
Romans 10:9-10