An Unplanned Blessing

Hello

I have had another full week with my son's birthday, working in the studio, some yard work and going through stuff (more on that later).

But it is all about the details of our lives that count the most. I have been truly concentrating on the small wonders that God blesses us with. To really be faithful and aware of the smallest of blessings. The warmth of the sun now, the smell of the earth in spring, the chatter of the birds, that have been silenced by winter, the rebirth of nature in all it's splendor. 

...And then there are the bigger blessings that humble you and bring tears to your eyes because you are overwhelmed by the precious gift you have been given. 

This is my blessing I am celebrating this week, my only son, a son that I couldn't have asked better for, a son that God has blessed with kindness of heart and a happy soul that still loves to be a boy, yet successful as a man...who loves life at forty one. 

Such things, fills a mother's heart to overflowing. 

I really wasn't planning on writing this today... but as you will see most unplanned blessings turn out to be the best. This is what is on my heart right now so here goes...

My son was born to a very young me. I had married my high school sweet heart a year after graduation. We enjoyed a nice little house in the suburbs and at the age of 20, I had two daughters, 2 1/2 years apart and fell into motherhood with a natural ease. 

After the birth of my first child Jody, I absolutely fell in love with her and while pregnant with my second daughter Kerri, I worried... how could I love another as much as I do my first. Well, as many of you know that was a foolish worry but I was young.

 I felt that my family was complete, at least for awhile. I had been under the care of a wonderful doctor but back in 1970 we were still in the general thinking that doctors knew everything and what they said was written in stone. And they practiced that thought.

 My doctor had recommended the use of an IUD for contraceptive. Without explaining a thing or me knowing what it was or even time to ask anyone he inserted the coil. I was in pain for a week and was told not to be a baby by the nurse. I did not have any idea how the IUD functioned and because it was a new product no one else I knew did either.  Remember there was no Internet then! But there was really no reason to be concerned, if one is totally ignorant of something. 

At the time Roe vs Wade was a big issue and I had been involved in it quite heavily. This subject is still a hot spot and I do not judge. I only can be mindful of my own convictions - no one else.  And if I would have known that the IUD cast off the fertilized egg, I would have chosen another route. 

But God is always with me and knows what is best for me, even when I am blind. Three months after the birth of my second daughter, I started getting sick. The doctor had told me if the IUD gets misplaced I could have the symptoms of pregnancy. So with my mother, I went to the doctors to see if it had moved. I remember lying on the table when the doctor said "no, it is still in place" and how relieved I was for fear of more pain but then came the words I wasn't expecting... "but your pregnant".  I started to cry. 

This was too much for a naive twenty year old. When I got into the car still crying, my wise mother looked at me and said, "you have two choices. You can cry and feel sorry for yourself and make this hard on you and the baby or you can accept this right now and thank God for this pregnancy."  I chose the latter.

I had a normal pregnancy even with selling the house moving to a farm that eventually was condemned and moving again, just before baby was to be born. During this time my husband had been laid off work so money was tight. We had gotten a small apartment and he was called back to work but we had lost everything to a swindled deal with the farm (which is a story in itself).

We were going to my father's charismatic nondenominational church called Compassion Christian Center. In that church there were visiting ministers and prophets that would speak. At one of these meetings one of the evangelists called me to him and told me the Lord had laid me on his heart and that the Lord said, the child I was carrying was a boy and that the Lord had his hand on him and was going to use him in a mighty way. 

This was before ultrasounds... I took this from the Lord and planned on a boy. 

At full term I went into the hospital to have my third child.

James Gustav was born without complications and was a strong healthy 7 pound boy. They took him away and started working on me, no IUD was found. It was to be in the afterbirth, the doctor said I needed a D&C,  so I signed the papers and off to surgery I went... only to awake with pain I can't describe. Abdominal surgery was required as the IUD had perforated the uterus while I was pregnant and as it swelled the IUD went through into my intestines and embedded there. 

The IUD had been inserted wrong, into the cervix and hadn't been affective, therefore my pregnancy. It never worked, I was so relieved! 

Now as I was coming to my senses from surgery there was a commotion on the floor, there were other doctors at the desk asking to see the "miracle baby".  Miracle baby?  Doctor's usually don't use that term. My doctor came in that evening and was excited, they had every doctor on the floor examining James and they have never seen a healthier baby... his muscle tone, his lungs... he went on to explain that carrying a full term baby under those conditions, was close to impossible. And to have such a healthy child was even more amazing... oh and by the way, we took out your appendix while we were in there, it was twice it's size and inflamed.

OK...

I went on to have 3 more lovely girls in time. But only one son, my only son. Not that I love him anymore than my lovelies but I thank God, for He has carried all my burdens and watched over me in my ignorance and has blessed me so... that I am Overwhelmed and Over Shadowed by His Mighty Love.

 Sarah

Nicole

Kerri and Jody

Jennifer

This has gotten to be a longer post than I planned, so I will be posting this week on a give back.

 I have reached 1000 followers and have some gifts I would like to give. Come back!

Blessings All

Rebecca