A Small Miracle

On August 7th, my life was instantly and irreversibly changed.  Little Sawyer, our first grandchild, was born, weighing in at 6 lbs, 6 ounces and measuring 18.9 inches long.  I am in awe of this little newborn's perfect form and the miracle of new life.

One can't help but stare in wonder at the beauty of a newborn's face. Though his features will change over time, and we really don't know who he will resemble as an older child or an adult, right now Sawyer is simply a perfect example of God's brilliant, creative artistry.

Sawyer's doctor explained to his Mama and me that babies are born about 2 months too early, justifying her statement with facts about not being able to sleep and needing to be held close to mom or dad's heart and needing to be fed so often.  But, I disagree.  I think God knew exactly what he was doing and did so with intention and perfect timing.

What better way for parents to form an unbreakable bond of unconditional love for their child than to have a perfect tiny human, with soft delicate features that we know will only be visible for a short window of time, utterly dependent on upon them for comfort, food, warmth and love?

God knew that the relief of hearing her baby's very first cry would soothe the mother's tremendous pain during childbirth.  He knew she would take one look at her baby and her heart would convince her aching body that he was worth every pain she endured.  I saw that on my daughter's face in the photos taken as she gazed upon her son's face for the first time. There was no sign of the great pain of labor on her countenance, though it had happened only seconds ago.  There was only the beauty of love and joy radiating from her smile and in the tears rolling down her face.

As humans in this complicated, busy age in which we live, we are often guilty of focusing on the wrong things. We don't pay attention to the small important tasks and get easily distracted and sidetracked, spending way too much time with issues and tasks that don't add value to our lives or the lives of others. But, a baby can change that.  God made them dependent on us partly because He knew how we are and that we needed a "nudge" to help us remain attentive to the needs of our children. New mothers barely have time to do laundry let alone sit around and waste time watching TV or spending hours on the phone gossiping with girlfriends.

So, moms and dads, spend time caring for this new, perfect creation who brings with him the possibilities of a better world in which we spend time caring for others and nurturing that which is perfectly created by God, but dependent upon us for life.

Welcome to the world Sawyer!  You are perfect!  You are fearfully and wonderfully made by a God who knew you and loved you before you were ever in your mother's womb.  You are deeply loved by your mother and father who will care for you and try to give you everything you need to make the world a better place.

I love you so much!

Gammy

Come To Me

Sometimes the world beats us up.  An unkind word or words is spoken.  Someone disappoints us with their actions.  We feel unforgiven, unworthy, unloved.  We can’t forgive ourselves for our own humanity.  Ashamed that we fail to live up to our own or others expectations, we lose hope. 

But, hope is found when we keep our eyes on the One who loves us unconditionally.  When the world beats us down, He lifts us up and tells us that we belong to Him, the King of all Kings.  He is more than able to heal our wounds, to mend our hearts, to change us into a closer likeness of Himself. 

Day by day, one step at a time, we can move toward Oneness with our Creator.  In the intimacy of that relationship with Him, if we are accepting and courageous, we can become whole.  Healed.  But, it takes work, time, patience and love.  We have to love ourselves enough to keep trying, even when we momentarily lose hope or stumble and fall.

It takes courage.  The courage to surrender our disappointments to Him.  To surrender our unworthiness, our fear, our need to have power in situations.  Hurt may be the most difficult thing for us to surrender – to completely let it go.  We know our wounds well.  We live with the pain each day.  It is real.

“God, I am hurting.  My heart is heavy.  I don’t know how to overcome the hurt.”

“Come to Me.  When your heart is heavy and you feel weary, come to Me, and I will give you rest.  I am gentle and humble and you will find rest for yourself.”

I don’t know about you, but I need rest.  I need healing.  I need gentleness to soothe me from the harshness of the world.  The kind of rest and healing I need aren't found by sleeping in, or by taking a relaxing vacation, or getting a good massage.  It can't even be found in spending time with my husband or friends.  Only the divine hand of God and His never failing love can bring me to complete healing. 

Come to Me.

Be love and be blessed,

Goodbye 2011, Hello 2012!

Why is it the older I get, the faster time flies?  2011 is now history!

I'm ready to move on to 2012.  How about you?  Though I count my blessings everyday, and know that my life is beautiful and fulfilling, 2011 hasn't been a year I'll remember as particularly easy or overly gratifying.

There has been the long, painful and ongoing journey toward better health.  The journey is continuing in 2012, but I start with renewed hope and strength that God will use all the situations in my life, including physical pain, to draw me closer to Him and to work all things for good.

Business was tough in 2011.  But, I'm not alone.  I would guess most Americans would say 2011 was tough if you had a job and a lot tougher if you didn't. 

I'm incredibly thankful for my business and even though we didn't make the income we planned, we had so many opportunities to bless people through our work.  That feeling of helping others was infinitely more fulfilling than lost income and unattained goals.

So, goodbye 2011.  Thanks for all the experiences you've given me, good and bad.  Hello 2012!  I welcome you and embrace all that this new year brings!  Though every situation won't be joyous, in every step on this journey lies a moment to love and to live.

As you begin 2012, stop for an instant, take a deep slow breath, and step into the thousands of moments of living that await you.

Be love and be blessed,