ME a Mom?  NEVER

Famous last words.  Never say never. 

When my husband and I were dating, even at a young age, we knew what we wanted.  We started dating when I was 16 years old.  We did not want children.  Ever.  Never, ever.  It was not a argument, or more than three sentences.  We were not having children.  So, we agreed to it and never was it brought up again. It was a plan.

Until February 1986.  I woke up one morning wanting a baby.  It was as if something had broken loose in my heart.  There was an empty spot that I was not aware existed.  I wanted children.  I had changed my mind, question was…had my husband?

Suffice it to say…he had.  We were ready.  Of course I did not get pregnant right away.  It is amazing when you want something so badly, it seems so long to attain.  Here we had gone 6 years without being pregnant and content to wanting to be and not content.  Oh how fickle we were. Our plans had changed.

Now I am a goal setter.  Once a goal is set, I do everything I can to attain it.  I read articles, practiced all necessary things to achieve pregnancy….yep, even laid upside down.  There, I said…laugh if you want. 

Some six months later it happened.  I got pregnant.  I was teaching and I was the only woman to ever carry a baby.  I was very sure of that.  My co-workers told me differently. Gosh, I was a mess. I imagined everything possible.  What if?  Why do I feel that way?  Let’s face it, having another human being take up residence inside your body is one of the strangest sensations ever known. Can you say miracle?

I gained lot of weight, couldn’t wear my rings at 4 months.  I looked as though I was carrying twins.  AND, many people made it their business to let me know that observation.  “Are you carrying twins?  You are huge.” By far my favorite was “Haven’t you had that baby yet?”  OBVIOUSLY NOT!!  Would I be looking like this if I had?  Really???

Suffice it to say, I had plenty of “womb room”.  Austin came into this world at 9 pound 1 ounce.  He was my buddy.  He slept through the night at 3 weeks, loved to go and was a wonderful, peaceful child.  I left my job, knowing that I would NEVER teach again…..remember that NEVER SAY NEVER statement.  DON’T MAKE THAT STATEMENT!! But, I had plans for my life.

So our desire was to maybe have another child when Austin was at least 3 years old.  We did not want two babies at once.  You know where this is going don’t you?  I had Taylor when Austin was exactly 2.5 years of age.  Don’t you love that God has a sense of humor? A toddler and a new born and little sleep.

Taylor decided to teach me some lessons, for many years and in many ways.  Of course no pregnancy is the same, so I was sure I was having a little girl.  I gained more weight than should ever be allowed by any human being.  Being asked if I was carrying twins was so common place that I didn’t even flinch when I was asked.  I had a number of health issues and scares, but each time all was well.  And, having the “womb room” as I mentioned before, Taylor came in 2 weeks late at 9 pound and 11 ounces.  Just a glimpse of the strong will competitor that this little boy was to become.  I remember at one point he had stopped moving and I had to be rushed to the hospital.  The doctor mentioned to me once he knew all was well…”This little boy is a stubborn little one…look out!”  A prophetic word to be sure. 

He was a hand full.  He never slept over 4 hours at any given time.  He transitioned into toddler hood with a vengeance.  He taught me so much.  But that is another entire blog.  “Strong Willed Children, How Not To Break Their Spirit.”  

As you can see from the picture posted, both boys turned out just fine. Both have qualities that make them incredible young men.  Later blog entries will show you that as we parented and homeschooled, I was even worried about that…but I digress yet again.

The point of this story?  We walk this thing called life out day by day.  We do not know that plans that the Lord has for us.  We can think we are “planning” it out, but we are not.  I learned long ago to “Never say Never” because inevitably, you will be wrong.

But the one thing that I do know with certainty ….

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11(NIV)

These scriptures were prefaced by verse 4 “This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all those I carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon”

I believe that those scriptures can be taken out of context so often. Plans is “machashabah” and means thought, device, plan, purpose, invention.  Prosper doesn’t mean to be rich.. in the Hebrew the word is “shaw-lome'” and can be translated into completeness, soundness, welfare, peace, friendship (with God especially in covenant relationship).

So His “plans” were always pregnant with grace, and still are!  No matter what our plans are in this world…HIS ultimate plan is that He wants us to spend eternity with Him.  HE has a plan to rescue us.  We just have to accept His grace, and the fact that He is our Savior.  No matter what we go through in life, how our plans turn out….we must remember HIS ultimate plan.  We cannot lose sight of that in the midst of our circumstances and swirling world.

Blessings dear ones!

Isaiah 55:8-9