beautiful

Thursday afternoon - cold, rainy, and long - found Mom and I at the coffee shop, drinking warm chai tea and waiting for Grant and Scott to arrive so we could take Ivory home. She was writing a blog post, and I was journaling. And I started thinking about the week.

The days after Monday were beautiful because God didn't answer our prayers in the way that we thought He would. Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday allowed us to rest at home and Ivory to recover in the hospital. Those three days also provided some wonderful opportunities to talk and connect with my Mom (in between the countless hours of her waiting patiently for me to feed Ivory in the hospital). We got to know the nurses and doctors better, and were able to visit with another family whose baby was in the other incubator. Also, Javier and Veronica came to visit us, and it was so neat to be able to continue building a friendship with her. And I learned more about how God works... giving us just what we need for the time, and then leading us further on in His plan. None of those things would have happened if we had gone home on Monday. We would have been thrown into the "newborn home from the hospital" stage, with very little rest or reconnect time with Mom. We wouldn't have been able to build relationships with others the way that we did those last few days. It has been beautiful to see God's greater plan unfolding. When we left, one of the nurses told us that she was going to miss Ivory so much, and that we needed to leave half of her there. The love that they showed her was so touching, and I was so thankful for the ways we got to know each nurse.

When I opened my Bible on Thursday, God gave me Acts 3 - the account of Peter and John and the healing of the man at the gate of the temple called Beautiful. Verse 16 stood out to me: "And his name, through faith in his name hath made this man strong, whom ye see and know: yea, the faith which is by him hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all" (vs. 16)

And, that temple gate was called Beautiful. This gate we're walking through, healed in so many ways, is also Beautiful. Healing and growing Ivory. Healing and building relationships. Healing. It is truly beautiful.

A few pictures of Ivory with some very special people before leaving the hospital...

Meeting Grandma

The pediatrician - Dr. Martinez Miranda

Our Ixtlan doctor, Dr. Martin

Getting ready to go home!

With Daddy

Now that we are home, Ivory is doing very well. I am so thankful that my Mom is here... her support, love, advice, understanding, and experience have been so valuable. She is so patient and willing to help in any way, at any time of day or night. I'm learning so much from her.

We've been talking about the book One Thousand Gifts this week, and how God knows best. Ann Voskamp writes, "There's a reason I am not writing the story and God is. [...] He knows how it all works out, where it all leads, what it all means. I don't."

There's a song on the CD that the Blunier family created that has been ringing in my head this week - "Beautiful" - that very neatly summarizes God's work in all of our lives.
"Beautiful, beautiful, Jesus is beautiful
And Jesus makes beautiful things of my life. 
Carefully touching me, causing my eyes to see, 
Jesus makes beautiful things of my life."