Please note this entry was written a few days ago and is just now being posted.
Few of us can say this. That is, that they were touched by an angel. I haven't been around much lately for many reasons of hustle and bustle of the season, but more so because, I've been touched by an Angel.
I have had the tremendous honor and privilege to be a part of the lives of a family who let me meet their Angel. This post is about Amy, Mike, Alex, and Lydia-may it bless you too, to be a part of their story.
It's just CRAZY to me how God works. How God brings people together. Amy and I are in the same moms club, we attended a retreat in the spring and we attend the same Bible study. Through all this, what brought us together though, was a dining table. Yes, this sounds silly but it is how I came to know her "better". She wanted to sell her dining table and I, very annoyingly, badgered her about it before finally deciding to buy it (I absolutely LOVE it, BTW).
She told me when I bought the table that she was expecting their second child, so she wouldn't be able to help me move it. Through our brief conversations, I thought to myself, I really like her-maybe I should actually attend some MOMS club stuff;-)
Anyway, as time passed and school began, I got an email from her one day asking for prayer. She had been to the doctor for her 20 week check up and ultrasound and got some truly unthinkable news...her precious baby that she was carrying had a rare condition called anencephaly and this condition is not compatible with life outside of the womb. I instantly called her but she did not answer. I was not surprised-she hardly knew me, why would she now answer the phone and pour out her broken heart to me. SO, I did the next best thing in this technological age and e-mailed her. I shared with her our story, which I knew was not the same as hers but I told her that I would like to help in any way possible as I knew that when I had a difficult pregnancy, help that was offered to me meant SOOO very much. And, I really felt a connection to her.
She responded to the email and our friendship grew-I wasn't there for her as much as I should have been in the weeks following but I thought of her constantly and prayed. I had also offered to care for her as her nurse when she had the baby if she wanted and she decided she would like that. I was honored. I prayed the Lord would work things out and make it possible for me to be there as her nurse and friend.
Amy was due January 11. Never really knowing, we all thought we had some time...but as things would have it-we didn't have a much time as we'd of liked. Amy began leaking amniotic fluid over the weekend and told me about it Saturday night. She called her doctor and he said he would see her in the morning just to make sure- none of us were really convinced that at 34 weeks it was "time". I forgot to mention, over the course of these past months, Amy was blessed by the gift of an elective ultrasound to find out the sex of the baby so they could bond and spend sweet and precious time preparing for the birth of their daughter. They were able to also give her a name-Lydia Grace.
So, I awaited a call on Sunday morning to find out if Amy would need to be delivered due to the amniotic fluid leak, and indeed, she called me and told me they would be heading to the hospital. God is so good. I was able to head up to the hospital and care for her and her husband Mike and wait out the delivery of Precious Lydia. While things did not go as fast as I'd hoped for Amy, her labor went smoothly and when Lydia was ready, she came quickly (almost too quickly). She was born into this world Monday December 3rd at 4:47pm. I was able to help Amy and Mike thru some of the deepest waters they will ever tread-but I am not writing this because I am "proud" or think "I'm so great" but because I am so humbled by the goodness of our Lord.
Few of us will ever experience such a situation, but I know I am a better person because of it. Blessed beyond measure, actually. Many of us think we may say, "no God, it's too hard". It was hard. But it wasn't about me-it was about helping Amy and Mike and doing for them the same thing I would want someone to do for me-show them love in their darkest hours. Lydia's birth and short life were so beautiful. It's hard for most of us to imagine packing a lifetime of love into 28 short minutes, but Mike and Amy did and they did it so gracefully. At 5:15pm Lydia's heart was no longer beating. She went home to be with our Heavenly Father.
I will never forget holding her and cuddling her. Being so blessed to be able to help with keepsakes like pictures, footprints, and hand and foot molds. Who is blessed like this? I feel so unworthy-yet know that I did it lovingly as if Lydia were my daughter. I had a few others nurses ask about it-how hard it must be. I tried to be God-honoring and explain it's what I'd have wanted and it was actually easier to care for them knowing them than when we take care of patients whom we don't know and don't know how to best serve.
Can you imagine cuddling your newborn and having to say good bye as soon as you've said Hello? It's indescribable. Little Lydia was incredibly precious. She had perfect hands and feet-in fact, she was perfect in every way, maybe not in Wordly terms, but to God, her parents and those who were blessed to be able to meet her. Her body was just not made for this Earth.
I liken her to a butterfly-her delicate and precious body touched the lives of many but was not intended for long life on this Earth. I will probably never see a butterfly again that I don't think of Lydia. As they softly flutter by with their delicate wings and graceful presence-I pray I never forget.
Not many of us can say that we know what it is like to grieve over the loss of a child. I know I can't truly say that. I've never lost a child. I know when I was pregnant with Owen, I feared the loss of his life GREATLY and went as far as to thinking about funeral arrangements, etc.
This experience has affected me more deeply than I was prepared for. I feel blessed, though sad. I've spent these last few days constantly thinking about Amy and Mike. And praying...
I've also thought {even} more about God. He also lost a child-actually, He did something even harder-He gave His only son's life---for us. This very time of year His son came into this cruel World and 33 years later, the Lord gave-SACRIFICED His son's life as a payment for the sins of this World-MY SINS! Speaking of unworthy-WOW!!! The grace I'm given, though don't deserve.
Amy and Mike's choice for Lydia's name is a really neat thing to me-Lydia means beauty and Grace means unmerited favor. How fitting.
The Bible says "the King is enthralled by our beauty"...I rarely feel beautiful but yet God tells me He's ENTHRALLED by my beauty. He's enthralled by Lydia's beauty also-He created her.
Psalm 139:13 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb.
They are planning a glorious memorial service for Lydia. They have been so brave and inspiring through this all. I'm so honored they allowed me to be a part of their lives-and Lydia's life.
Mike, Amy, and Alex-I love you guys!
Please keep this dear family in your hearts and prayers. I know in the days, weeks, and months that follow they will have a lot of physical, emotional and spiritual healing to deal with.
Read about their story at http://www.focosi.net/
Cry Out To Jesus
Words by Mac Powell / Music by Third Day
To everyone who's lost someone they love
Long before it was their time
You feel like the days you had were not enough
when you said goodbye
And to all of the people with burdens and pains
Keeping you back from your life
You believe that there's nothing and there is no one
Who can make it right
There is hope for the helpless
Rest for the weary
Love for the broken heart
There is grace and forgiveness
Mercy and healing
He'll meet you wherever you are
Cry out to Jesus, Cry out to Jesus
What....coal? No stockings? "I don't understand" TJ said. "it's cuz we've been naughty silly" exclaimed Jacob.
Whew...we did get stockings after all. Those tricky parents!
Above: What our living room looked like after all the presents were opened. Nothing deterred Owen from getting where he wanted to go.
Jacob's prized gift this year: a "ben ten watch"...it doesn't even tell time. Oh well, not bad for $4.99;-)
Owen really wasn't much for opening gifts, but I did get this shot. You'd have thought he like it more since we had to keep him away from the tree for a month!
You can't beat this expression;-)
Off topic: TJ built a snowman out of our "blizzard" snow a few weeks ago;-)
This was Owen watching him!
What do you think of our house lights this year? Just kidding. It's really a close by neighborhood home that puts on quite a show to music and all...very neat-though WAAAAYYYY out of our league.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all!!!! I'm looking forward to a blog-filled '08!!!!
