When Josh and I found out we were having a baby, not only had we not ‘planned’ to have her, we hadn’t even decided that we really wanted to have kids. Needless to say, we were surprised, shocked, and completely unsure what to do next. All we knew, and what we prayed continually, is that God had a plan, and He was going to have to take care of everything…we knew NOTHING about having a baby! As our friend, Pastor Iman puts it; we had an “amazing opportunity to trust God”. In the past 8 months we have received blessing after blessing…so many times I’ve thought, “I need to blog about this!” So, here is a quick list…a praise report of sorts…of some of the things that have occurred throughout my pregnancy…
*Our friend Rachel delivered FIVE BOXES of diapers one day, because God told her to buy them…and she has brought a few other boxes at random times….!
*We were blessed with a car, a convertible…even though this was not a ‘baby friendly car’, the person who blessed us with it knew God wanted us to have it. We were able to sell the car to a family that was equally blessed to buy it, and Josh was able to buy a Jeep Cherokee…his IDEAL vehicle…and plenty safe for little Madelyn!
*Various people have brought us items that are either new or gently used including, a changing table, a new car seat, a crib, a new pack-n-play, a bouncer, FOUR baby carriers, FIVE boxes of clothes, a stroller, several toys, and a few more packages of diapers…and the Baby Shower isn’t even until tomorrow!
*Our friend Kat gave us a care package with pacifiers, blankets, wash cloths, a Boppy, and a bath seat
*We received an annonomys donation to our ‘maternity leave fund’…that, combined with what Josh and I have been able to save, has given us enough $ for me to stay home for SEVEN weeks after Madelyn is born!!
*Josh will be able to work a slightly different work schedule when I go back to work so that we will only need 4 hours of childcare/day
*Our friend Vanessa is going to watch Madelyn during the afternoon while we are at work so we don’t have to put her in daycare!
*At 7 months pregnant, I still knew VERY little about the process of giving birth…a friend of one of our co-workers met her at the office for lunch one day, and after lunch asked her to give me her name and phone number. You see…she is a Doula (similar to a midwife), and God put it on her heart to offer her services to me…at NO CHARGE!!! She has been an INVALUBLE resource…she is an amazing woman and will even be attending Madelyn’s birth in a few weeks.
We are overwhelmingly blessed to be surrounded by such an amazing family of friends who speak into our lives. AND WE CAN’T WAIT TO MEET MADELYN IN PERSON! It’s crazy to know that she will be here in less then ONE MONTH!! I hope this encourages you, that even when you don’t see how something can possibly work out, that God will ALWAYS make a way!
Romans 8:28 “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them.”
Capricious Jess 