Sunday, April 15, 2012

Our Providential Child

Two children maybe three is what we said.

A family of four we became - with a boy and a girl - you couldn't get any more perfect than that.

The American family all tucked in neat at the seams.

Then we decided to get a little messy and go for three.

Three was good, even easy, almost too easy

Like we were missing somebody.

But three was also perfect and we were done.

                                                         Then this little surprise happened!

     "Was it planned?" people asked.

As much as the providence of meeting my husband when I was looking the other way was...

As much as the providence of home calling my heart when I thought I would be a career mom was...

As much as the providence of writing, which heals me and others, when I thought the pursuit of singing must be my ministry was...

As much as there is providence, this child was absolutely planned!

In spite of what we thought.

Madeline Joy is her name.

I can't think of a more beautiful and fitting name.

She's two today and she belongs.

She was intended.

She was planned.

It is without doubt that she was a part of the master plan for our family.

And she'll even let you know it...


We're not that neat and tidy little family.

We're messy.

We're loud.

We're spilling over with gratitude.

And we're jumping on the beds, laughing, fighting, loving, and living.

There simply are no tucked in tidy seams around here.

And we'll take it that way any day!



Happy Birthday our beloved providential child!

Joining Ann for Multitudes on Monday's in thanksgiving over our sweet, feisty, and beautiful forth child! 
Also Sharing with Finding HeavenA Pause on the PathSeedlings in StoneThe Wellspring, Raising Arrows, and The Better Mom 


19 comments:

  1. Oh...Theresa. I loved this post. It spoke to my heart on so many levels. It is so perfect. One that you can read to Madeline when she is 18 and tears will come to her eyes. It says so much about you, about your family, and about your youngest.

    God bless, my friend.

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  2. Amen! Great post. We like to think we're in control of our lives but moves us and we end up going a direction we hadn't ever intended to go. I'm so thankful God knows the desires of our heart even before we do.

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  3. Such a sweet post. Happy Birthday to your dear one.

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  4. I LOVED this! So sweet and the pictures are so adorable! Have a wonderful day!

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  5. Oh, happy birthday to Madeline. I love how God overrides our "plans." And gives us the desires of our hearts.. even the desires we never knew we had. I'm just giggling with you, since my husband was "done" at two- had the boy, the girl.. all we needed was a dog. And then he finally gave in to my begging for three and we dove into life unraveled- a baby with colic, zone defense, pure crazy joy. And then I was DONE. My plate was full. And the Lord laughed and sent me two more..two more with colic, two more with beautiful smiles, two more "unplanned" but fit-just-right babies. And now I can't imagine living with any less than a handful. And I love how God has placed me on the edge with this family so far beyond my dreams... .now we live on the edge of chaos, tears, and joy at all times. Such a sweet place to be!

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  6. oh such sweetness here...she is adorable...without the long story...there is 7 years between the youngest of the oldest 3 and the older last 2 gifts...they have added so much...we would have been complete empty nesters for 7 years without them. blessings as you celebrate this little precious gift.

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  7. we thought we'd be the nice tidy family of three too...

    we laugh about that today!

    she's beautiful!!!!!

    hug her happy birthday from a far away "auntie" she'll never meet but who is joining with you today in thanking God for her!

    blessings!

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  8. Happy Birthday to your special gift!

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  9. Oh, you could feel the love in this post. So poetic, my friend.

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  10. What a sweet sweet girl! She was intended and she was planned. I love the picture of you all jumping on beds. So sweet!

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  11. Stopping over from Jen's community. I'm an adoptive mom, and I've often said, "family planning is a myth." We plan nothing! God, in his infinite wisdom and goodness gives to us (and withholds from us) exactly the children He has planned from all eternity. Isn't it amazing to think that, before He even spoke any of creation into existence, He had planned each of our lives--even that of your sweet birthday girl!

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  12. Oh, this is a precious tribute to your little girl! Happy Birthday Madeline!

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  13. Oh, the joy of His providence. Like a gift we didn't expect. The mind of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps. And I think it was good you wrote about your Madeline and not Thomas.:) Thanks for sharing my story on FB yesterday.

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  14. Love, love, LOVE this post! You have spoken our thoughts exactly! Although we wanted more kids, God seemed to whisper, "I'm giving you just one," for years. And when we had adjusted to His plan for us to be a family of simply three -- when we became EVEN COMFORTABLE as a family of three -- God shook things up and gave us our providential child. The unplanned one. The surprise one. The one that we had been waiting for, without knowing. The one that we love so much, it hurts. Yay for such surprise kids!

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  15. Thank you for all of your comments here! Particularly, those couple of adoptive parents who have opened my eyes more acutely to those adopted babies, who were unplanned by earthly standards, yet very much planned by their heavenly Father and what abundance you have through their gift of life. Oh! You have blessed me more than I could have imagined in writing this post!

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  16. And she is beautiful. Just beautiful.

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