Tonight was a beautiful night. It was one of those nights where I drank in and savored summer....something I have been saying that I want to do before the babies arrive. Last Saturday, Neil and The Daddy were supposed to be going to a Milwaukee Brewers baseball game, but when they arrived, Hoffbeast realized that somehow he had bought tickets for a week later. Tonight, because he had a prior ministry function already planned, I got to go on a date with my 8-year-old, and we had the best time together! It was a beautiful night--the perfect summer night, really--and to top it off, the Brewers won. Glorious!
How fortunate I am! I have so much for which to be thankful....I can't even begin to really list them all.
One of the things for which to be thankful is you. Every single person reading this and lifting us up in prayer to the Father has been a blessing to us over these last 6 months. We will never know how the storm would have been weathered were it not for the praying saints who were going before the throne of grace on our behalf, day in and day out, week in and week out. Thankfully, we will never have to know that....I have a feeling it wouldn't have been so pretty.
As it is, Jesus has met us at every turn...and He is continuing to do so. I feel boosted emotionally, and I feel strong physically. Today, in my study of John, I read the following: "No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine." Such an important and clear directive from the Lord.....I cannot bear fruit by myself; I must remain in the vine. Period.
I am the branch; He is the vine. Jesus, the Word made flesh, the Son of God, revealed from Heaven. Matchless. Redeemer. Healer. King. It is He in Whom I must remain, and that process happens as I spend time in His Word, getting to know the heart of the One for Whom I live. How thankful am I that He has not left me alone but has sent the Comforter, His Holy Spirit.
And He has brought comfort, indeed. And I believe that He has used you and your prayers to pave the way for me (us) to feel the comfort that He has always offered. Praise God...and thank you for being so faithful in prayer.
Please don't stop. The next several weeks are sure to bring with them a multitude of feelings, a roller coaster full of the traditional ups and downs. My friend had her twins boys this week--unspeakable joy at their safe arrival; a twinge of sadness as I see the pictures of them lying together, as my boys will never do this side of Heaven. Baby clothes being washed and readied--excitement to think of Bart being here soon and wearing them; sadness that I don't need to buy any twin clothes like I was so looking forward to doing. Hospital prep like where will the kids go during delivery/recovery--happy to be hauling out the infant car seat again; sad to have to only need one of them.
And then there are the hard things that need to be done. Today, I visited Rock of Ages, the memorial company that chiseled out and placed our Hunt's gravestone almost 9 years ago exactly; I need to prepare for Aaron's burial...not an easy or fun task, but necessary and, in a way, the only thing that this mother will ever be able to do for her son. So I will do it gladly, making sure that his life is remembered and valued.
So yes, we need prayer...and lots more of it as these weeks progress.
Specifically, here are some updates:
-At last check, Bart weighed 4 pounds, 9 ounces. I'm sure he's a good bit more by now. Hurray for a wonderful weight for him! And he is beautiful! Every ultrasound look is a treasure for this mama. :)
-Aaron is little...much smaller than he was at one point. I am still praying that there will be a body to hold and cherish, if only for a moment, but I don't know at this point if that hope will be realized or not. This is something specific that I simply must trust God with. He knows me intimately and will provide what I need, not simply what I wish or what I think I need.
-My surgery is scheduled for 8:45 on the morning of July 24....baby day is on its way--fast!
-I am extremely thankful that the same two doctors that delivered both Hunt and Beth will be delivering Bart and Aaron. Praise God for this!
-We officially have two names on the table, although a third has crept into the running. At this rate, I don't expect to finalize the names until we are driving to the hospital on the morning of the 24th.
-Bart moves all the time, and I love it!
-As expected, sleeping is becoming more of a challenge by the night. By the end of the day, my feet have swollen a bit (although not badly...I'm really thankful for that), and my back and shoulders are often hurting. I still sleep relatively well, but yes....I'm 8 months pregnant for sure!
What questions do you have? Let me know, and I will try to answer them...
It is worth mentioning again how thankful we are that we have made it this far. Back on January 18, we had no idea what life would be like come July. God has answered our prayers in His all-knowing, all-wise ways, and we bow before Him in thankfulness. We wanted healing for Aaron....those wants are being given in Heaven. We wanted safety for Bart....each ultrasound and NST confirms that these wants are being granted here on earth.
For all You have done, we are thankful...for all You are going to do, we are thankful.
Amen.
How fortunate I am! I have so much for which to be thankful....I can't even begin to really list them all.
One of the things for which to be thankful is you. Every single person reading this and lifting us up in prayer to the Father has been a blessing to us over these last 6 months. We will never know how the storm would have been weathered were it not for the praying saints who were going before the throne of grace on our behalf, day in and day out, week in and week out. Thankfully, we will never have to know that....I have a feeling it wouldn't have been so pretty.
As it is, Jesus has met us at every turn...and He is continuing to do so. I feel boosted emotionally, and I feel strong physically. Today, in my study of John, I read the following: "No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine." Such an important and clear directive from the Lord.....I cannot bear fruit by myself; I must remain in the vine. Period.
I am the branch; He is the vine. Jesus, the Word made flesh, the Son of God, revealed from Heaven. Matchless. Redeemer. Healer. King. It is He in Whom I must remain, and that process happens as I spend time in His Word, getting to know the heart of the One for Whom I live. How thankful am I that He has not left me alone but has sent the Comforter, His Holy Spirit.
And He has brought comfort, indeed. And I believe that He has used you and your prayers to pave the way for me (us) to feel the comfort that He has always offered. Praise God...and thank you for being so faithful in prayer.
Please don't stop. The next several weeks are sure to bring with them a multitude of feelings, a roller coaster full of the traditional ups and downs. My friend had her twins boys this week--unspeakable joy at their safe arrival; a twinge of sadness as I see the pictures of them lying together, as my boys will never do this side of Heaven. Baby clothes being washed and readied--excitement to think of Bart being here soon and wearing them; sadness that I don't need to buy any twin clothes like I was so looking forward to doing. Hospital prep like where will the kids go during delivery/recovery--happy to be hauling out the infant car seat again; sad to have to only need one of them.
And then there are the hard things that need to be done. Today, I visited Rock of Ages, the memorial company that chiseled out and placed our Hunt's gravestone almost 9 years ago exactly; I need to prepare for Aaron's burial...not an easy or fun task, but necessary and, in a way, the only thing that this mother will ever be able to do for her son. So I will do it gladly, making sure that his life is remembered and valued.
So yes, we need prayer...and lots more of it as these weeks progress.
Specifically, here are some updates:
-At last check, Bart weighed 4 pounds, 9 ounces. I'm sure he's a good bit more by now. Hurray for a wonderful weight for him! And he is beautiful! Every ultrasound look is a treasure for this mama. :)
-Aaron is little...much smaller than he was at one point. I am still praying that there will be a body to hold and cherish, if only for a moment, but I don't know at this point if that hope will be realized or not. This is something specific that I simply must trust God with. He knows me intimately and will provide what I need, not simply what I wish or what I think I need.
-My surgery is scheduled for 8:45 on the morning of July 24....baby day is on its way--fast!
-I am extremely thankful that the same two doctors that delivered both Hunt and Beth will be delivering Bart and Aaron. Praise God for this!
-We officially have two names on the table, although a third has crept into the running. At this rate, I don't expect to finalize the names until we are driving to the hospital on the morning of the 24th.
-Bart moves all the time, and I love it!
-As expected, sleeping is becoming more of a challenge by the night. By the end of the day, my feet have swollen a bit (although not badly...I'm really thankful for that), and my back and shoulders are often hurting. I still sleep relatively well, but yes....I'm 8 months pregnant for sure!
What questions do you have? Let me know, and I will try to answer them...
It is worth mentioning again how thankful we are that we have made it this far. Back on January 18, we had no idea what life would be like come July. God has answered our prayers in His all-knowing, all-wise ways, and we bow before Him in thankfulness. We wanted healing for Aaron....those wants are being given in Heaven. We wanted safety for Bart....each ultrasound and NST confirms that these wants are being granted here on earth.
For all You have done, we are thankful...for all You are going to do, we are thankful.
Amen.
1 comment:
Sweet Sarah, you are such a rock. I pray you continue to feel the Father's love in tangible ways. I pray His grace will flood your spirit as you go through the hard valleys. You have been such an inspiration for me throughout this pregnancy.
I'm not sure if you have heard of the blog, Names in the Sand. I wanted to shared the link with you. There is something beautiful about seeing your little one's name written on a gorgeous sunset beach. http://namesinthesand.blogspot.com/
Thank you for sharing your journey with us. What a privilege!
Love and blessings,
Christy
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