A Miracle in the Waiting Room
By Bria Jean Valderrama
wife, mom and worship singer-songwriter artist
Early in the second trimester of my second pregnancy, I had a vision. In this vision, an adorable little girl with dark, loose curls, fair skin, and the sweetest demeanor sat peacefully on the floor playing like kids do - happy as could be.
Fast-forward a month, and our ultrasound confirmed that we were indeed having a little girl! However, with this joyful confirmation came jarring news. With a sober face and a solemn voice, the doctor explained that our daughter (Cami) had early signs of a serious heart condition called Hypoplastic Left Heart. They anticipated three heart surgeries in her first year of life, not to mention a possible in-utero surgery to help her survive delivery. Because of the challenges they expected our family to face, the hospital suggested that my husband and I start in-house counseling to help us cope.
But in that moment when fear and anxiety knocked on our door, something unexplainable happened. I remember sitting in the doctor’s office as though covered in a full body armor of peace. I knew God was going to heal our daughter.
After openly sharing with one of the doctors that God was going to heal our baby and that we would see improvements on that next ultrasound, she literally told me: “Don’t expect things to get better. If anything changes, it’s only going to get worse.” I know she was trying to be helpful, but I remember thinking, “If you only knew the power of my God!”
As we held onto that vision of our daughter as a healthy little girl, my husband and I surrounded ourselves with family and friends from church who added their faith to ours. We refrained from researching “hypoplastic left heart” online and instead focused on the truth of God’s promises. It’s not that we didn’t value the facts of medical science; it’s just that we knew God would have the final word.
And that’s exactly what happened! Over the next weeks and months, Cami’s healing shocked our medical team and left us in awe. And you know what amazed me just as much as the healing miracle? The peace of God that guarded us so thoroughly along the way.
Sometimes we think about peace as a passive thing; the absence of trials. But I think we have the wrong picture of peace. Peace is powerful, and it guards us. Guards are strong, mighty and brave, and the peace that God gives us is like an impenetrable force field shielding us from fear, doubts, and hopelessness.
As songwriters do, we wrote a song about Cami’s story… not about the final outcome, but about the “in between time” when we were waiting on God to move; the part when we had the choice between faith or fear. The song is called The Waiting Room.
After singing The Waiting Room around Nashville and posting a portion of the song on Instagram, we received an overwhelming response of “YOU NEED TO RECORD THIS!” We felt God stirring our hearts to record a few other songs as well, so we went for it!
A story like Cami’s deserves to be wrapped up in music that takes your breath away just as much as the story itself, so we wanted to create an unforgettably moving, gorgeous experience. We booked my absolute favorite venue in the Nashville area (the Strong Haven Silo) and filled it with a bunch of dear friends.What happened that night was beyond what I could have hoped for.
The band was on FIRE…with my husband Robby’s soothing guitar playing, drums that make you wanna get up and dance, a three-piece string section, and a 34 piece choir of friends and family from all over the country who prayed and walked with us through the seasons that birthed these songs.
I want to see more babies have Cami’s story. I’ve seen miracles. I don’t totally understand them, but I want them for my family and everyone else I meet. I’ve lost loved ones after praying and fasting for their healing, and I don’t understand why they weren’t healed. But I do understand that God is faithful and God is good, and that He carries us through seasons. And just as much as I want to see people healed, I want to see people walk through the seasons of their lives guarded in God’s peace that surpasses understanding.
Everyone knows what it's like to be in the waiting room. Whether you're waiting for a medical, financial, or relationship miracle, or you’re waiting for beauty to somehow emerge from the pain of great loss, my hope is that this song will invite you to trust that the same God who healed Cami and walked me through my journey is with you in your waiting room as well.
About Bria Jean
Bria Jean is a bilingual worship leader and songwriter. She and her husband, Robby, reside in Nashville with their two daughters, Lea (pictured above, left) and Cami (pictured above, right). You can listen to “The Waiting Room” song on Bria’s live worship album titled “LIVE AT THE SILO” , releasing on August 8.26.22 on all streaming platforms.
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