Doubly Blessed
When we chose the name Emily for our newborn daughter more than twenty-one years ago, no one was named Emily.
Zilch.
Well, okay, we knew of one or two. So we conspired to keep the lovely name to ourselves until the appointed day. Well, we must have lived in a bubble where only Ashley's, Jessica's, Sarah's, and Brittany's existed. For when we proudly announced our uniquely chosen name: Emily Elizabeth (and no, we didn't know about the Big Red Dog)...that's when we discovered Emily had shot to the top of the name charts!
No matter how many Emily's are in the world, there's only one who is ours and we love her very much!!!
So, when it was time to name child #2, we just chucked the idea of being unique and went with our hearts. And along came Calvin Benjamin.
From the start, we've prayed for their future spouses.
Over the years, there've been moments when I wondered what those prayers were accomplishing.
How many days and nights of puking, stinking diapers, screaming toddler wars, skinned knees, and after- school broken hearts had our prayers effected?
Will Emily's heart be pursued by a man of God some day?
Will Ben know her when he's found her?
What tragedy or illness have we prayed through unwitting?
What seeds of faith were born on the wings of our hopes and prayers?
Will the ones the Lord brings to each of them honor the heart of our daughter, our son--as we have, as the Father does?
We've emptied our nest last year.
I was focused on me and how I was navigating it all.
Silly me.
Because then this happened....
Our son got engaged on Saturday!! And suddenly, we've gained another Emily! Ben's Emily!Yay! Our nest is fuller, not emptier!
When Emily's mother sent me a great little note, reminding me that they'd prayed for Ben since Emily was born-- I got weepy. Suddenly I realized, I was the recipient, Ben was the recipient, of two decades of prayers. How comforting to know we were not alone in our child-rearing, and that God watches over the plans of those who turn their hearts to Him.
And we pray for Ben and his Emily, and our Emily and her "Mr. X" (identity yet unknown, though we are sure he's not been thrown under a bus somewhere!): “For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline” (2 Timothy 1:7).
Readers: Do you pray for your children's future spouses?Do you have favorite verses to pray over your children?Did you ever imagine while in the thick of parenting trenches, that another mother somewhere was praying over you and your child?-------------Blog post by Anne Love-
Writer of Historical Romance inspired by her family roots.
Nurse Practitioner by day.
Wife, mother, writer by night.
Coffee drinker--any time.
Find me on:FacebookFind me on: PinterestFind me on: Goodreads
Zilch.
Well, okay, we knew of one or two. So we conspired to keep the lovely name to ourselves until the appointed day. Well, we must have lived in a bubble where only Ashley's, Jessica's, Sarah's, and Brittany's existed. For when we proudly announced our uniquely chosen name: Emily Elizabeth (and no, we didn't know about the Big Red Dog)...that's when we discovered Emily had shot to the top of the name charts!
No matter how many Emily's are in the world, there's only one who is ours and we love her very much!!!
So, when it was time to name child #2, we just chucked the idea of being unique and went with our hearts. And along came Calvin Benjamin.
From the start, we've prayed for their future spouses.
Over the years, there've been moments when I wondered what those prayers were accomplishing.
How many days and nights of puking, stinking diapers, screaming toddler wars, skinned knees, and after- school broken hearts had our prayers effected?
Will Emily's heart be pursued by a man of God some day?
Will Ben know her when he's found her?
What tragedy or illness have we prayed through unwitting?
What seeds of faith were born on the wings of our hopes and prayers?
Will the ones the Lord brings to each of them honor the heart of our daughter, our son--as we have, as the Father does?
We've emptied our nest last year.
I was focused on me and how I was navigating it all.
Silly me.
Because then this happened....
Our son got engaged on Saturday!! And suddenly, we've gained another Emily! Ben's Emily!Yay! Our nest is fuller, not emptier!
When Emily's mother sent me a great little note, reminding me that they'd prayed for Ben since Emily was born-- I got weepy. Suddenly I realized, I was the recipient, Ben was the recipient, of two decades of prayers. How comforting to know we were not alone in our child-rearing, and that God watches over the plans of those who turn their hearts to Him.
And we pray for Ben and his Emily, and our Emily and her "Mr. X" (identity yet unknown, though we are sure he's not been thrown under a bus somewhere!): “For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline” (2 Timothy 1:7).
Readers: Do you pray for your children's future spouses?Do you have favorite verses to pray over your children?Did you ever imagine while in the thick of parenting trenches, that another mother somewhere was praying over you and your child?-------------Blog post by Anne Love-
Writer of Historical Romance inspired by her family roots.
Nurse Practitioner by day.
Wife, mother, writer by night.
Coffee drinker--any time.
Find me on:FacebookFind me on: PinterestFind me on: Goodreads
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