When we first knew Callie had Spinal Muscular Atrophy, it bothered me that there was nothing to blame for her condition–no toxic chemicals during pregnancy, no pre-term birth complications. There was only God to blame, and I couldn’t fathom how He could have made her with this condition. And I still don’t know if He did.

But I’ve come to think that it doesn’t matter if God gave Callie SMA. What does matter is that God takes our tragedies and allows purpose to flow from them.

That doesn’t change the fact that I wish this wasn’t happening. I wish we had a cure so Callie could have the life I imagined for her: playing sports with her brothers, learning to put on makeup, walking down the aisle. But I also hope those dreams I had for her life will fade so that I will not hinder her purpose, whatever it may be.

I may never understand how losing her muscles and possibly her life has a purpose, but I will always believe that it does.