Wednesday, January 2, 2013

Days of Joy



Sometimes beauty surprises us.


As life spins around us, thick with frustrations and waiting and disappointments and slippery ice and burned toast and rusty-brown well water that turns laundry orange, every now and then we catch our breath. In amazement, delight. A skipped heartbeat of "can this be real?"

And that's where I am today. Caught by surprise, like a sky full of snow-clad branches surprisingly diamond-bright against a coal-blue sky.

God's mysteries wrapped up like a Christmas gift, glittering in the shadows.



My post will be short today because my heart is full. 


After all these years, we welcome home our second little one - named Seth after the consolation gift of a son God sent to Adam and Eve - and can hardly contain our delight. Even with C-section stitches, a stretched-out belly, pain medication, sleepless nights, migraines, and fumbling for bottles in the middle of the night, the wonder still stays, frost-like, sparkling in a thousand winter colors.

God has heard our prayer and answered, and we are speechless with gratitude.


As if one little child wasn't enough - more than enough - beautiful, precious, praise-worthy enough - He has blessed us with two.

Sometimes just when we think we have life all figured out, God throws us a curve ball.

A curve ball  with blue eyes and blond-thin eyebrows and succulent rosy cheeks. A curve ball that smells of baby powder and has ten perfect pink toes. My mind is clogged with warm fleece sleep suits and baby socks and tiny newborn diapers. I cannot write my newest novel ideas; I cannot remember a before or imagine an after. I would forget to eat if it wasn't for my exhausted, depleted stomach screaming after sleepless nights of feedings and diaperings.

I cannot think in poetry - the world explodes in it instead, falling around me like snowflakes.

If you've ever been surprised by God's mercies to the undeserving, you will know how I feel at this moment - as the new year rings in silently around me.

I have not even noticed.

I'm too busy whispering a fervent prayer of unbelieving thanks.

15 comments:

  1. Oh, he is just soooo gorgeous! Congratulations to your family on your beautiful new addition. I know he will bring you as much joy as our little mischief monkey has brought us :)

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  3. Congratulations on your sweet bundle of joy!

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  4. Wonderful. Thanks for sharing the pictures and all the best to you and your family in 2013

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  5. Thank you, Kara! We thought we couldn't have children (after eight years you'd think we'd have it pretty figured out, right?) But our son Ethan (adopted in 2009, another glorious year) kept believing and praying for a younger brother sister. And God heard his prayer.

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  6. Thanks, Marianne! It has been amazing. The whole journey. I'm so in love.

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  7. Thanks, Alice! I can't wait to see what this year brings!

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  8. Such beautiful news to read about, Jennifer--I can feel your amazement and delight at such a wonderful gift from God through the way you have written. God bless you all!

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  9. Praise God! Lovely to read and hear your joy and see the pics. Congratulations.

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  10. He is so adorable - congratulations!!

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  11. Narelle - thankyou! It has been incredible. Two miracle boys - who would have guessed??

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  12. Dale - thank you so much! What an amazing Christmas and New Year it's been. It still blows my mind.

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  13. Thank you, Jo-Anne! I'm still surprised by the beauty of it all. So unexpected, and so welcome. Thank you for reading and commenting! Wishing you a wonderful New Year, too!

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  14. Beautiful, Jennifer! Congratulations!

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  15. Thank you, Lisa! We couldn't be happier. He has done amazing things in our family, and we are so grateful.

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