Sweet Lucy,
Your life story started out a little differently. It wasn't exactly what your daddy and I had in mind, and it wasn't ideal, but we would never change it. We had the opportunity to learn first-hand how God is so faithful and so big and so wonderful. He takes ALL things, even things we would have never chosen for ourselves, and weaves them together to make something good. No, great. And powerful. And moving. And extraordinary.
So, we celebrated your first birthday a little differently. I'd seen friends do acts of kindness to celebrate with their children, and I really liked the idea. It seemed a very fitting way to celebrate your miraculous healing and your first of many healthy birthdays, God willing.
Some things we did in honor of your first birthday were:
Personal delivery of a special gift to the most special of friends to remind her that
long-lasting friendships are precious and life is, indeed, so very good.
Donations to the pregnancy center because babies are precious gifts from God, however they come.
Breakfast for your Children's Ministry shepherds who speak the
word of God into the tiny hearts of our little ones each weekend.
We all skipped school and work to spread some kindness on your actual birthday, and our first stop was Julia's Bakery. We loaded up on pink boxes and set out to shine some light as a family.
Cookies for Mom and Dad's co-workers
A dozen cupcakes for the NICU
We even got to spend a few minutes with Missy, one of the nurses who cared for you while you stayed in the NICU for treatment and healing. It was almost as if you remembered her. You reached right to her when you saw her again.
Your brother left sticker books for all the big brothers to-be in the waiting room of labor and delivery.
He picked flowers from the back yard and delivered them to both nurses stations.
We left a cupcake for Belinda, the nurse who helped deliver you, to find when she came in for night shift. Believe me, girlfriend, we were both in good hands with Belinda.
We stopped by Chik-fil-A for some lunch, and while we were at it,
we bought lunch for the people behind us too.
You took a cookie break...
Ms. Jessica joined us for the afternoon while Daddy slept to prepare for night shift. We visited our good friend Ms. Foster and complimented her beautiful flower garden in bloom.
Sam brought some "tasty carrots" to his friends, Buddy and Dutchess.
We sugared up our favorite pediatrician and his staff with Julia's cookies.
And, left a basket of toys and books for the waiting room at the doctor's office.
Visited your preschool at snack time to bring cookies to your classmates and teachers.
But, that's not all. We asked our friends and family and those who love you to join us in shining our light and showing kindness to others. We shared cards with a link to your story and encouraged people to share their acts and experiences with us, so we could one day share them with you.
And, you know what, sweet girl? They did, in a big way. So many wonderful stories to tell. Kind hearts to celebrate. Nice gestures to honor. Jesus is surely alive in the hearts of those who love him.
I know in my heart that your birthday lit up the world for Jesus and made him smile. I know this isn't even a complete list, but so far, as of today, the count is 107. One hundred and seven acts of kindness done on your birthday to celebrate a girl whose name means "light" and the big God who healed her.
And for whatever reason, I was pondering that number, and its importance and it made me think of the Psalms, the songs of David. Probably because it's the only book in the Bible with chapters numbers that high. So, I decided to read Psalm 107…
Give thanks to the Lord for He is good, his love endures forever.
Let the redeemed of the Lord tell their story. Psalm 107
Oh, my little love, do you have a story to tell about a God who is good!
