Celebrating a Miracle

I was hard at work in my sunny, pale green office yesterday morning when the phone rang.

As usual the day was flying by; an intense series of quickly answered emails, phone calls, meetings, and churning through the stream of paperwork that seems to grow exponentially like the Amish Friendship Bread will do, that Ellen gave me on Wednesday.

The AFB lies flat on my counter top in a clear plastic bag on which Ellen has helpfully marked the dates of the days I have to add flour, sugar and milk and in between I have to "mush" it. By day ten I will divide it into 4 and make a loaf of bread with one of them, giving the other 3 bags to 3 friends. Now my friends are warned--Amish friendship bread is coming--and day 10 is Friday, January 25th.

But I'm off on a rabbit trail!

Into the middle of my concentrated busyness came an interruption that poured like liquid, golden honey onto the bread of my day, saturating the paper white with sweetness.

I heard Lori Lei's warm, low voice on the line, and I heard laughter and pride in its tone.

"Hi, Belinda," she said, "I have someone here who wants to say hi to you; hold on."

And I heard a small voice, say, an unmistakable, "Hi."

Ava Jasmine Claire, Lori Lei's and Lance's darling miracle, almost one year old, calling to say "Hi."

On Thursday, January 25th 2007, I wrote about Ava's birth, which was indeed a miracle all the way from her conception to her actual birth.

Now this beautiful child is almost one and it's time to celebrate again. She is sunshine and light; a happy little girl with eyes that shine with easy laughter, with little provocation, just like her mommy's.

Paperwork, deadlines and a time crunch--they suddenly faded from view. I had been slowed down to sensibility by Ava Jasmine Claire.

Comments

Anonymous said…
Thanks for your part in that miracle, praying the little one safetly into the world. I know many of God's pray warriers prayed and you were one of them. So amazing that a year ago she was just arriving and now her words are following... I think Ava got as much out of telling you hi as you did receiving it. And thank you dear Lord for the gift given to us last year, we are truly blessed to be parents;
thank you for entrusting us with such responsibility, amen...

LL
10:22 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Movies

A few nights ago, I touched on our conversation over dinner at cell group--a continuation of one we'd started the week before about our favourite movies. Sam had led an icebreaker where we had shared our favourites and it was surprising, funny and revealing to hear what they were. Here are some of them: Ron-- Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure Richard-- The Godfather Brenda-- Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Susan-- The Miracle Worker and Chariots of Fire Paul's were A Christmas Carol and Groundhog Day , and mine were: The Colour Purple and What About Bob All week though, I kept thinking--what was it about those particular movies that spoke to people--and that's what we discussed over dinner on Tuesday. It was as much fun finding out why people loved them as finding out what they were. We laughed loudly as Ron recounted some of the scenes in Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure as they traveled back in time and collected historical figures for their history a
Read more

Ere Zij God--Glory to God in the Highest! A Dutch Carol

Image
By Belinda This beautiful Dutch carol was shared today by a friend of Dutch ancestry, on Facebook. I had never heard it before but absolutely loved it. It moved me deeply, especially at the end after the crowd leaves the church and then breaks into spontaneous singing again around a brazier, with the sound of chiming church bells in the background. Listen to it with headphones or a good speaker to get the full effect of the harmonies. And happy first Sunday in Advent!
Read more

Samson Beaver and his Family

Image
I first posted this in 2009, a little show and tell about one of my favourite photographs. Back then it hung on a wall, but now it's in my bathroom where I see it every morning! I'd forgotten the history behind the story, researched when I first posted this and thought that current readers might enjoy it--a story from a time when this land was still being discovered, not so very long ago. This photograph was taken by Mary Schaffer; artist, photographer, writer and naturalist, in 1907. It is of a Stoney Indian named Samson Beaver, with his wife Leah and daughter, Frances Louise. I bought the photo on a postcard, on a trip to British Columbia and it hangs framed, on the wall I face when sitting at my laptop. I love it. Don't you just feel as if you could gather Frances Louise up in your arms and cuddle her? I get a deep sense of peace and happiness when I look at this family, sitting in the grass of a long ago fall. They are dressed in their best, beautiful c
Read more