Friday, December 17, 2010

He has promised...

I know. It's been forever since I've blogged. I'm blaming it on the pregnancy, which my mom will claim is my fifth time to pull the Pregnant Card. To which I say, it's actually the third and compared to some women, I'd say I'm doing pretty good at not being "that pregnant girl!"

It's good to have moms that keep your reality in check, isn't it? My mom is so good, she can give me a look...or complete silence...and I know EXACTLY what she's thinking! It's a blessing and a curse, really. I hope to master that talent someday.

But I digress.

Luke and I went through some of my "keepsake boxes" yesterday. And by boxes, I mean four or five MOVING boxes. It's funny what you deem Keepsake Worthy when you're in elementary, middle, and high school. And by funny, I mean sad and pathetic. Can someone just praise Him with me right now that I'm not the girl I used to be back then?! I won't give details, but what I will tell you is that somewhere along the way I thought it would be a good idea to keep my diary...

And then let Luke read it...

I'm not saying that someone slipped something in my drink at lunch to make me think that was a good idea....I'm just sayin' it's possible.

As I sat there going through hundreds of notes from friends, birthday cards, and pictures...OH THE PICTURES!...I realized that Keepsake Boxes are really only good for one thing besides complete and total embarassment.

Reflection.

From the moment we found out there was going to be a Keiffer #4 in our not so distant future, we have been trying to figure out what to name our baby. What we learned is that we like simple, traditional names that aren't too terribly common. Unfortunately, the majority of our aunts, uncles, and cousins feel the same way and have used some of our favorite names. We discussed millions of possibilities. Basically, I thought of names with potential and Luke vetoed most of them.

We finally settled on the middle name for each. Allyn for a boy {a combination of my dad and Luke's dad} and Elizabeth for a girl.

I debated for a long time on the middle name for a little girl. At first, I thought Faith. Then Joy. And like any other woman, I changed my mind again because if we were going to have a little girl, I wanted her to have my middle name. I felt bad because the other 2 choices seemed to have so much more significance to the season of life our family has been in lately. Not to mention that they are character traits we pray for both of our children. The good news was that I could still change my mind, but in the meantime, I decided to research what the meaning of the name "Elizabeth" was. I've always known what my first and last name meant but not my middle name. There's nothing like having a baby to get you all fired up about the meaning of a name.

If you're familiar with the Christmas story, then you've probably heard about Elizabeth, mother of John the Baptist and cousin of Mary. The mother of Jesus. You may know Him. He's kind of a big deal. She was also the woman whose husband questioned an angel name Gabriel...so God hit the mute button. Elizabeth, on the other hand, gave immediate praise to God for the miracle He had done. {Luke 1} I guess I would have too if my prayers consisted of asking God for a baby along with a miracle cure for gray hair.

Once you've read the story, it probably won't surprise you that Elizabeth means "God's promise." Suddenly, that middle name seemed much more fitting.

My life {much like yours, I'm sure} has been filled with God's promises. Yesterday, while going through The Boxes, I realized that so many of those promises have already been fulfilled.

He promised that He would never leave me or forsake me...even if others did. I may not have the same friends I did back in elementary, middle, or high school but I still have Jesus walking right beside me every step of the way.

He promises only the best for me...even if it's different from my version of The Best. Well, gosh, all you have to do is read notes passed back and forth between high school girls just sure their lives were the only ones full of drama and disappointment.

He promised that if I would put Him first, He would grant the desires of my heart... Enter Luke. Best. Promise. Fulfilled. Ever!!

He promised that Austin would be a gift. Second. Best. Promise. Ever!!

I could go on, but I think you get my drift.

Two years ago, I began praying that God would give us a little girl next. I knew my chances were 50/50. Obviously. But Luke is from a family of all boys. My dad is from a family of all boys. My mom has a brother. Luke's dad has 4. Luke's mom has 2.

I think you understand why I chose to believe in the power of prayer.

Praying for a little girl became more of me pouring the desire of my heart out to the Lord, while at the same time believing with total confidence that His will is ALWAYS best...girl or boy! I wish I could explain the feelings that came next but I honestly wouldn't do them justice. Let's just say that whenever I would picture a Keiffer family of four, there was always a little girl in our midst.

Lord! I prayed, Please protect me from wishful thinking! I want to be thrilled no matter what!!

Even still, I continued to feel a connection with this little girl in my mind. I began to feel like I already knew her and loved her as much as Austin.

When we found out I was officially pregnant, God promised me that this baby {timing and everything} would be a blessing and a reward. Our joy that would come in the morning. I felt like God continued to tell me in little unexpected ways that He would grant the desire of my heart.

And still, I had a hard time believing it.

On October 26th we found out that the next little Keiffer would be a girl.

And on December 5th we decided to name her Brooke Elizabeth Keiffer.

Because He promised.



Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!
2 Corinthians 9:15

His miracles are unforgettable...
Psalm 111:4