“Our Advocate” by Katie Taylor

I held my ten-month-old baby in my arms and swayed back and forth in front of a doctor’s office window. Anna collapsed on my chest as I rubbed her hair and looked at her chubby cheeks.

“I will fight for you, baby.” I whispered.

For five of her ten months of life, Anna had ear infections. There was fluid in her ears, preventing her from hearing during crucial months of language development. She was on constant antibiotics that were tearing up her tummy and causing other side effects with no great improvement.

Pediatricians are reluctant to send kids to the ENT for ear tubes until there is a proven case. There are also insurance guidelines to follow. Anna was suffering and that was becoming normal for her. She had no voice in the situation. She was powerless to help or even communicate her need for it.

I insistently pleaded her case to the pediatrician who called in a special request to the ENT. Rather than go through the normal wait, we were given an appointment that week and he agreed to scrub in on his day off (which meant the very next day) and operate.

There are many days I wonder if my role as a full-time mom serves a purpose. On this marathon journey, some steps seem hard and monotonous and I wonder if I am getting anywhere. But on that day, I knew I was serving a great purpose. I fought for my baby when she couldn’t fight for herself. I got to be this precious little one’s (pictured on the day she got her ear tubes) advocate.

As I was reading about the Holy Spirit this week, I was reminded that He is our Advocate. “But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” (John 14:26). He fights for us behind the scenes. When our ears are shut to the Word of God, or His voice is drowned out due to infection, He fights for our ears to hear.

He fights for our healing. He fights to get us into the hands of the Great Physician. When we are voiceless, He works on our behalf in ways that we will never know or see.

C.S. Lewis says, “the great struggle is not fought on a spectacular battleground, but within the ordinary human heart.” It’s the invisible things within my ordinary heart that prove my need for an advocate: fear that paralyzes, comparison that steals joy, self-protection that locks up love, anger over what I can’t control, doubt that whispers its case against God’s goodness, and defeat that seems circular.

This invisible battle is seen by My Invisible Advocate who faithfully steps in on my behalf. While the enemy may attempt to steal, kill and destroy, today I am reminded: I am not alone in this fight. It’s one I’m powerless to win on my own, but one that I don’t have to.

As believers, we have an Advocate. We have One who steps in and opens our ears to hear God’s voice…calling us into the abundant life we were made for. He helps us take our eyes off ourselves and put them back on Jesus. He illuminates the life-giving Truth about Who He is and who we are as His children. He paves a way to joy and peace, not by changing our circumstances, but by changing our hearts. He does the fighting for us behind the scenes in ways we may never see. 

He boldly pleads our case when we’re unable. He reminds us of the victorious position Jesus won for us. He enables us to bear lasting fruit. He prays for us when we don’t have the words. He speaks when we are voiceless. He delights in our well being. And when we are weak, He holds us tightly in His arms and whispers with great love and determination, “I will fight for you, baby.”

 

Written by~Katie Taylor

Tags: Advocate, devotion, Holy Spirit, Katie Taylor, Our City On A Hill