The Little Train and the God Who Sees

                         

Some seasons of life feel like a journey where we are watching every mile marker,
holding our breath, and praying for the next good report.

Over these past weeks, I have walked alongside my daughter through frequent prenatal appointments—sometimes two or three times a week—as her husband is away for work. This pregnancy has not been without its unexpected bumps. High blood pressure has brought concerns for both mom and Baby Levi. He is measuring small, and yet, in the middle of the uncertainty, there have also been beautiful reminders of God’s faithfulness. His heart is strong. His tests continue to come back normal. Two steroid shots have been given to help prepare his little lungs for a safe arrival if he needs to come early. 

Through these appointments, God has woven in a sweet little blessing.
At the hospital where my daughter’s baby doctor’s office is located, there is a gift shop with a tiny train display. Each time I walk through those doors, I place Baby Levi’s name on that little train and ask the ladies working there to pray for him.

Those ladies became like little angels along our journey. What may have seemed like such a simple moment to them—a grandmother walking in and placing a tiny name on a train—became something so much bigger to us. Their kindness, their prayers, and the way they remembered our little Levi touched our hearts more deeply than they will ever know.

Every time I walked into that gift shop, Levi’s name was still there on that little train.

And every time we returned for another appointment, one of the gift shop ladies would see me and say, “We still have his name on the train.”

Isn’t that just like our Father?

In the middle of medical concerns, waiting rooms, and unanswered questions, He gently whispers, “I see you.”

He doesn’t always remove the hard moments immediately, but He faithfully meets us right in the middle of them. Sometimes He uses a doctor’s report. Sometimes He uses a strong heartbeat. Sometimes He uses a stranger who remembers a tiny name on a little train and faithfully lifts it before God.

These are the “I see you” moments—the little reminders that heaven is not distant, and our prayers are never forgotten.

Psalm 139:13–16 reminds us:

“You created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb... All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.”

Before we knew Baby B’s name, God knew him. Before we heard his heartbeat, God was sustaining it. Before we ever whispered a prayer, our Father was already holding him.

Our God is not only present in the miracles we see. He is present in the waiting. He is present in the uncertainty. He is present in the tears that fall when our hearts are overwhelmed.

And sometimes, in His tender kindness, He leaves little reminders along the way—a name on a tiny train, a praying friend, a strong heartbeat, a moment where we know without a doubt:

“I have not forgotten you. I am here.”

Because our God is good—not just when the outcome is what we hoped for, but because His presence carries us through every step of the journey.
“The Lord is good, a strong refuge when trouble comes. He is close to those who trust in Him.” — Nahum 1:7