If I say “Surely the darkness will overwhelm me,
And the light around me will be night,”
Even the darkness is not dark to You.
And the night is as bright as the day.
Darkness and light are alike to You.
For You formed my inward parts;
You wove me in my mother’s womb.
I will give thanks to You, for I am
Fearfully and wonderfully made;
Wonderful are Your works,
And my soul knows it full well.
My frame was not hidden from You,
When I was made in secret,
And skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth;
Your eyes have seen my unformed substance;
And in Your book were all written
The days that were ordained for me,
When as yet there was not one of them.
Psalm 139:11-16
This chapter has long been one of my favorites, but in the recent months as I have become immersed in the reality of life’s frailty, these particular verses have come alive, sustaining me in the dark moments. The beauty of this passage is something I will never tire of, but even more valuable than the eloquence of the language is the truth it proclaims that ever human being is precious! I have claimed that for Poppy, Tristan, Copeland, and Mary Grace already, and now as I think of little Maddox, who will come into the world today, and Gwyneth Rose, who is two weeks old and continuing to thrive, I claim this for them as well.
Jesus knows each and every moment of every life He has ever created, and He has known all of this since before time began. In response to this truth all I can do is echo the psalmist’s cry in verse 6 of this same Psalm. “Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is too high, I cannot attain to it.” I will never fathom all of it, but I know it is the truth. Each one of these babies is precious in the sight of our Father, and He will care for them with a love even greater than that of their earthly parents.
I have also been thinking today of the little baby that God has ordained since before time to be my child through the process of adoption. I claim these verses for that precious little one as well. I don’t know if he or she has been conceived yet, nor do I know how God will orchestrate the circumstances to bring us together. It will likely be through the local crisis pregnancy center, but I realize that God could use something even like this blog to help connect us with the child we are waiting to accept completely and wholly as our own. His plan will undoubtedly unfold in a way unanticipated by me, but it will be perfect.
Today, I ask that you stop and think about this passage and the truth it holds for your life, the lives of your children, and the lives of these children who need your prayers right now.
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13 comments:
Someone recently told me about you and today I've spent a good while reading through the chronicles of the last several months of your life. I pray that the Lord continues to bear you up in His strong arms and use the life of your precious little Poppy Joy to bring glory to His name.
My husband and I have lost two babies through miscarriage, and can relate to many of your questions and the pain of loss, and also to the goodness of God in bringing beauty and light out of the shadows. It has certainly made us realize the temporality of this earth, and increased our longing for heaven.
We also have two children here on this earth. Our daughter is named Alethea Poppy Joy, but we call her Poppy or Poppy Joy most of the time. I loved reading why you chose to name your precious baby Poppy Joy.
I pray that God will bless you as you pursue adoption- it is such a beautiful picture of His love, and I know you will be blessed as He adds to your family in this way.
Thank you for sharing your journey.
A sister in Christ,
Rebeca
all i can say is thank you for sharing this@ What an Awesome God we serve! so humbled, jen inal
Perferctly writen as always Angie! Still praying for you!
Each time I read this passage, it sinks in deeper into my heart and the words become more clear each time. Life is fragile, yet with the Lord by our side, we do not have to be afraid to embrace it. The baby that He is preparing for you is fearfully and wonderfully being made by Him, just as we are, and as the other babies you mentioned here. We are all precious in His sight. He is a God of details and we can trust Him with every breath we take. Nothing touches us unless it first goes through Him. I am so grateful that I don't have to understand it, I just know that I know it to be true in my heart. He tells us to believe as little children believe, and I do. And I stand with you in believing for this precious baby who needs you and Nathan and Marianna to be its forever family. A precious gift is coming your way and He will give you the desires of your heart.
I love you Angie and prayers continue daily in my home for you.
Angie...thanks for challening me once again. The stories of Poppy, Copeland, Tristan and Maddox have truly changed my life.
I saw a video on You Tube that touched me so much and thought the song would touch you as well. Check out http://youtube.com/watch?v=JqfGqOx2iDQ
I am praying for you as you and your husband begin the process of adoption!
Praying for you sweet Angie. I pray Poppy's life brings Marianne her perfect new brother or sister. I know she will. Thank you for sharing your life with me. I love you,
Kim
I just can't tell you how excited I am for you and this new journey of adoption! It's just so wonderful. Praying for you- sounds like you made a decision of which avenue to take. I look forward to all that is to come!
If you have time, go to www.rickandbubba.com and listen to "a father's heart". This dad is part of a radio team that broadcasts out of birmingham. He lost his 2 yr old son in accident this past weekend. He is a believer and the things that he spoke at his son's memorial service are convicting! So many of the things that it seems you have felt...and all to the glory of God.
Well said Angie. Amen.
Devin in Illinois
Angie, I don't even know how I got to your blog but I have read it daily for several weeks and want to tell you how inspiring you are! I have not lost a child physically but we did lose the ability to carry children due to infertility. We adopted both of our precious little girls through a ministry here in the Tulsa area. They do out of state adoptions as well. I don't know if this is God's way of bringing us together here in "internet world" but if you have any questions about our journey feel free to contact me! God bless you all as you begin this journey!!
Blessings in Tulsa,
Michelle Taylor
Angie-
Thank you so much for you constant prayers for our family. We are home now and spending time with family and friends. We are so thankful for the time we got to spend with Maddox... so see his sweet face, kiss him and tell him how much we love him. As we prayed with him I knew the Lord had given us just what we needed and asked... Thank you for walking this with us!
We continue to pray for you guys!
Love you so much,
Kenzie
Dear Angie,
Let me start out by saying how thankful I am to the Lord for young women like you. Your love of Christ and your faithfulness is awesome.
I want you to know how blessed I am and how inspired I feel each time I visit this blog. You continue to help and encourage not just me, but all who visit here.
It is wonderful that you are being led to adoption. It hurts my heart each time I think of "all" the children that go through life never knowing the love of a family. Even more so, the love of Christ. And I know that special child the Lord has waiting for you will know both.
I look forward with much anticipation to following your adoption journey and how it will bless you and all who go along (in a way) with you.
Thank you Angie for this blog.
with love in Christ,
a friend in Fla
What a blessing to read this passage again. We had this read at our daughter's funeral and God's Word continues to comfort, encourage and heal. Thanks for sharing.
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