February 17, 2015, a young couple welcomed their first child into their family. They’d been told this little girl had medical conditions “incompatible with life” and she wouldn’t even be able to draw a breath if she survived childbirth. They were advised to terminate the pregnancy. They chose to see it through. And guess what? This baby did draw a breath. And then another. Little Annalise Hope not only lived, she astounded specialists. As her mother once put it, it was as if she heard all the negative reports about what she shouldn’t be able to do and set out to prove them all wrong.

Annalise had a very short life—barely three years—but in those three years she touched countless hearts. Her parents recognized that Annalise was a gift and that she had a purpose. As difficult as it was to care for her, and as painful as it was to let her go, her parents’ strong faith and Annalise’s accomplishments themselves pointed to a God who is able to perform miracles. I believe God allowed Annalise’s challenges so He could strengthen her parents and give them a ministry beyond anything they could have imagined for themselves. And as a result of her well-lived life, the doctor who advised her parents to abort now shares Annalise’s story with other parents facing a similar diagnosis for their unborn children.

You see, Annalise wasn’t a punishment for sin; she was a blessing whose life glorified the Creator. “God’s works might be displayed…” He has a purpose for even the hard things of life. We only need trust Him and allow Him to work.