Saturday, February 2, 2013

God's Thoughts - Dinner #67


     A month has gone by, and I still can’t help but be awed and amazed over the birth of our little Jacqueline Grace . . . Wow! Our God is SO good!  Psalm 139:17-18 declares, “How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand . . .” How very many thoughts our Lord had concerning this Tiny Bundle!  And how perfectly incredible that our God – the God of the entire universe- takes the time to THINK about US!
     Having kept a careful watch on our ultrasounds, my doctor had already been concerned about our daughter’s slow rate of growth, and warned us that she might have to face some time in the NICU.  I had wondered about the details of Baby #2’s delivery, and played endless scenarios through my mind, but only the Lord knew the events that would unfold.   Jacqueline came into the world exactly 3 weeks before her due date.  When I think back upon it all, now, my heart wants to sing with the words of King Solomon, “He hath made every thing beautiful in his time . . .” (Ecclesiastes 3:11)  We had good health insurance, and a doctor whom I greatly admire . . . Our 18-month-old was able to be lovingly cared for by her Grammy, while we were in the hospital . . . A dear relative had brand new preemie outfits shipped to us, immediately, when she heard that our Baby Girl would be so tiny . . . And even though she was born at 37 weeks, Jacqueline weighed JUST ENOUGH to keep her from requiring a stay in the NICU!  We were able to start out the new year by going home from the hospital, as a family!
     Psalm 31:19 says, “Oh how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee; which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men!” And that’s exactly what our baby’s arrival was like – like taking carefully stored presents off a shelf, one after another – each one, a special blessing and answer to prayer.  Some of the Lord’s answers regarding our Baby Girl had been “yes” or “no”, some had been “wait”, and some were greater than anything we could have imagined!
Was there a reason that God closed all job possibilities in Virginia, last October, and gave us peace about staying here a while longer? Yes, indeed! If we had left in OUR OWN TIMING, Jacqueline would have surprised us before the 60 days that it usually takes for a new health insurance plan to go into effect!  More than likely, we would not have even had time to choose a new doctor, yet!  Isaiah 55:8-9 declares, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
    Things are quite busy 24/7 in the Kelley Household, right now, but my heart is just so full of all that God has done for our newest Baby Girl!  In Mark 5:19, Jesus told a man, “ . . .Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee . . .”  What has God done for us? He has blessed us with Jacqueline Grace!! Weighing little more than a 5lb. bag of sugar, at her birth, she went from sipping milk on a plastic spoon, to drinking with a preemie bottle nipple – no IVs necessary, praise the Lord! A month later, now, she is growing, eating, and doing great!  Usually gobbles down 3-4 oz. at a time, and lets you know REAL QUICK when she's suddenly starving! SMILE! Her big, beautiful eyes warm the heart, and make this mommy want to touch her hair, kiss her little cheeks, and rub noses with her, for all eternity! And this is only the beginning!  Jeremiah 29:11 says, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil . . .”  What wonderful plans God has for your life, Little Jacqueline!  What wonderful plans He has in store for EACH AND EVERY ONE OF US!!

     God Bless & Happy New Year!