When I was a little girl, I had a bracelet. Charm bracelet type links, "gold" and the only charm on the bracelet was a little glass heart that held a tiny seed. (I think it was glass...may have been acrylic. It was designed for a child. Glass is probably a no-no. Of course, forty or so years ago, we didn't have infant car seats, bicycle helmets and we rode around in the beds of pick up trucks! Back to the story.) A mustard seed. Matthew 17:20 is the verse that talks about faith even as small as a mustard seed being able to move mountains. Now, the faith is not in anything of my own making...or your own making, but in Creator God of the universe. He put the stars in their places, the planets in their orbits and the stripes on the zebra....surely he can handle anything I bring to him...or you bring to him. That little bit of faith never returns void and our prayers don't go unanswered. Now, the answers may not be what we had in mind, but since The Almighty operates on a WHOLE different level than we do, his answers are best. Sometimes, however, he does give us the desires of our hearts (Ps. 37:4) and we find ourselves utterly amazed.
Meet my friends Special K and Big Dew. High school sweethearts. Married for a good number of years. Actively walking with the LORD. Serving and ministering in their local church and in their community. Members of various mission teams sent out by their local church. And when I say ministering in their local church, they taught Sunday school...for middle school and high school boys. If that right there doesn't earn them several stars for their heavenly crowns, I don't know what would. (And one of those boys was Y1!)
For sometime, their desire was for a family of their own. Like so many around us, it didn't happen easily. In fact it just didn't happen. And it grieved them. I grieved for them, because I knew they would be such good parents...and any child of theirs would be so loved and treasured. I don't know why it was so difficult for them...when it seemed so easy for others with not even half the parenting skills that Special K and Big Dew had. But it was. Where some might have turned bitter, they remained steadfast. I saw them develop such beautiful, Christ-like qualities in their characters. Not perfect...you must have sarcasm to get through the church's quarterly business meetings...but full of kindness, gentleness, peace, patience, love and faith. I'm not privy to their most heartbreaking moments in the quest to have a baby, but I can say with certainty that it tested their faith and they felt the heat. And the frustration. And the disappointment. And maybe even a little anger. If not for faith...sweet, precious faith...I imagine giving in to the frustration, disappointment and anger would have been easy. As the old hymn says, "Oh, for grace to trust him more."
Back in October, Special K posted this:
Rail against social media...wax on about it's ills...but each ultrasound image that my sweet friend posts, the arguments against social media take a big beating. Each update she posts about her progress is precious fuel for the fire of my own faith. Just this week, she posted a short video of a dinner with their extended family. The purpose of the dinner was to reveal the baby's gender. These gender reveals are very en vogue...all the rage...uber trendy. (Eighteen years ago, I just called my mama...and his mama...and so on. Fourteen years ago, I polished my toenails blue. No party, though.) They are having a boy. She has two nephews who will be more like big brothers, so it's quite perfect.
His name? Samuel. There isn't a better name for this baby and every time I think of it, I turn to a puddle! Do you know what it means? "God has heard." That's what Samuel means. Special K and Big Dew prayed...and prayed...and prayed...like the biblical Samuel's mother, Hannah. For this child they prayed....and had faith that they would be heard.
And they were.
Meet my friends Special K and Big Dew. High school sweethearts. Married for a good number of years. Actively walking with the LORD. Serving and ministering in their local church and in their community. Members of various mission teams sent out by their local church. And when I say ministering in their local church, they taught Sunday school...for middle school and high school boys. If that right there doesn't earn them several stars for their heavenly crowns, I don't know what would. (And one of those boys was Y1!)
For sometime, their desire was for a family of their own. Like so many around us, it didn't happen easily. In fact it just didn't happen. And it grieved them. I grieved for them, because I knew they would be such good parents...and any child of theirs would be so loved and treasured. I don't know why it was so difficult for them...when it seemed so easy for others with not even half the parenting skills that Special K and Big Dew had. But it was. Where some might have turned bitter, they remained steadfast. I saw them develop such beautiful, Christ-like qualities in their characters. Not perfect...you must have sarcasm to get through the church's quarterly business meetings...but full of kindness, gentleness, peace, patience, love and faith. I'm not privy to their most heartbreaking moments in the quest to have a baby, but I can say with certainty that it tested their faith and they felt the heat. And the frustration. And the disappointment. And maybe even a little anger. If not for faith...sweet, precious faith...I imagine giving in to the frustration, disappointment and anger would have been easy. As the old hymn says, "Oh, for grace to trust him more."
Back in October, Special K posted this:
Do you know that part in the Bible where Sarah laughs when she finds out she is going to have a baby...at the ripe old age of 90...after years of being barren? Well that was me last week. While I am not 90, I did laugh after seeing a plus sign staring back at me. That's right. After almost nine and a half years of more blood draws, shots, drugs, procedures and surgeries than I care to count, after many tears and frustrating moments, after wanting so badly to be parents...Big Dew AND I ARE PREGNANT!!!!! (Did I really just type that?!) Baby C will be here in June of 2016. Yes, I am telling you early, but I cannot keep this in. I have to testify to God's goodness and faithfulness. Many of you have prayed and loved on me and Andrew over the years. That means more to us than you will ever know. And we would love your prayers for a healthy pregnancy and baby. Please join us in thanking God for this miracle!I was at work...and I didn't get much past the first two sentences...tears POURED from my eyes and I all but shouted.! Like a good, ol' church lady shout, know what I mean? It was an early announcement and knowing what I know about early pregnancies (25% end in miscarriage...without any "real" reason), I tried to rein in my excitement...at least to a dull roar.
“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change." James 1:17
Rail against social media...wax on about it's ills...but each ultrasound image that my sweet friend posts, the arguments against social media take a big beating. Each update she posts about her progress is precious fuel for the fire of my own faith. Just this week, she posted a short video of a dinner with their extended family. The purpose of the dinner was to reveal the baby's gender. These gender reveals are very en vogue...all the rage...uber trendy. (Eighteen years ago, I just called my mama...and his mama...and so on. Fourteen years ago, I polished my toenails blue. No party, though.) They are having a boy. She has two nephews who will be more like big brothers, so it's quite perfect.
His name? Samuel. There isn't a better name for this baby and every time I think of it, I turn to a puddle! Do you know what it means? "God has heard." That's what Samuel means. Special K and Big Dew prayed...and prayed...and prayed...like the biblical Samuel's mother, Hannah. For this child they prayed....and had faith that they would be heard.
And they were.
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