"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." (Jeremiah 29: 11 NIV)
I can remember the days during my first pregnancy when I sat alone in my apartment, hearing the voice of doom: “Your baby won’t survive.”
Oh the torment!
Add to that, in my seventh month, I noticed the baby wasn’t moving much. Whenever the doctor asked, I said “She’s napping.”
He never questioned that. In fact, he laughed and said I was right in saying so because babies go through periods of sleep and wake, even in-utero. Nearing the time of her birth, I was given her name.
Looking up the name for its meaning, I was somewhat unnerved. “Warrior? God, what have you got for this child?”When at last my baby was born, she was whisked off to Children’s Hospital to spend a couple days in NICU. After spending an entire day in surgery at 1 ½ days old, she was placed on the Urology floor for another week and a half.
I spent that time beside her bed, awed by the protection and power of God. How He halted the plans of death and brought my baby into my arms. If that were all, I was glad for it; however, God always goes beyond our expectations. My entire church (it was small) took the day off to come sit with my husband and me during the 8+ hour surgery. They paid for and loaded our bags into the rooms at Ronald McDonald House, and they brought us meals to store in RMH’s kitchen so we wouldn’t have to worry about cooking. In addition to all this, He arranged for my daughter to be in a room with no roommates, giving us, our family, and our friends plenty of space to gather and marvel at the awesomeness of God in our little girl.
One day, while sitting alone in the dim room with her, I was thanking the Lord for all He had been doing when one of my favorite Psalms came to mind. I felt compelled to write a letter to my little Warrior, telling her of her worth in God’s eyes.
“For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well. My frame was not hidden from You, when I was hidden in secret, and skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them. (Psalm 139: 13 - 16 NKJV)
The Scripture reference is now inscribed inside the promise ring we gave her on her 13th birthday when we shared with her—again—the story surrounding her birth.
How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand; when I awake, I am still with You.” (Psalm 139: 17 – 18 NKJV)
It's been a pleasure to visit with you.
WOW, Karls. And He knew it all - had it planned beforehand. You have blessed me again.
ReplyDeleteYou know what,Jo? This story still makes me cry. He is so AWESOME in His ways with us. :)
ReplyDeleteAnd all these years later, do you look back and see how His plan has played out? Sometimes it's hard to see it in our finite ways, but it's comforting to know that He is infinite.
ReplyDeleteWhat an awesome testimony.
I do, and it's still playing out, Mari. Kelly is now a beautiful 18 year old young woman with a passion for Christ that goes beyond my wildest imagination. She is a warrior in every sense of the word--especially in prayer.
ReplyDeleteThere's a lot more to that story, as you probably guessed, and one day, I hope to revisit the events in writing to boast on God's hand in those days.