My Lily of the valley

        This morning David and I were woken up by a a tiny, raspy voice "You guys want some company?" Lils smiled in her cheeky little way and jumped onto our bed. I am not a morning person in any way, shape or form, but couldn't help but laugh! Lily amazes me every day with her wit. She didn't get it from me , so I admire it greatly! She always has these hilarious little one liners and then follows them up with some thoughtful, very loving remark and a hug. Every single night when I tuck her in I am SO thankful for every day I have had with her. She is our little miracle. She is one very big reason that I will never doubt God's existence or presence in our lives.
       Many of you already know her story because I have told it a million times, but I will keep telling it a million more times, it's a big part of our life! It's a chapter in our lives that I will always return to as a reminder of God's power and sovereignty in our every day lives and circumstances. I have a daily reminder of how much He loves us and how great He is!
     David and I were serving in Plymouth England at the time. Our experiences there changed our lives forever and prepared us for the life God has called us to better then anything else ever could have! Lily's birth was one of those times. It changed my life, grew my faith and deepened my relationship with God in an instant. There were severe complications while I was in labor w Lily-Aunna. I was given the wrong medication and a huge overdose of it. It stopped my labor completely. The Dr. came in to tell me of the horrific mistake. He told David and I that the medicine was already in Lily's bloodstream and that she may not even be alive by the time I gave birth. He also told us that I would most likely have complete kidney failure because of the overdose. We were in such shock, it took me a minute to soak it all in! I asked for everyone to leave the room for a moment. I needed a minute w the Lord, just He and I. In that moment something incredible happened. Despite all the chaos, the uncertainty, the deep sadness of the situation I felt this quiet strength, a peace that whatever was to come, was the Lord's will and I was completely ok with the outcome whatever it may be. I knew I was not alone. And I chose faith instead of fear.
       It was only a matter of minutes and everyone was back in the room, Dr's for me, Dr's for Lily and you could see the tension on everyone's faces and feel the gravity and seriousness of it all. I remember the first moment I saw Lily and held her in my arms. She was alive and SO healthy and strong. God knew she needed to be, He made her strong for all that she would have to endure the first two weeks of her life! David and I named her Lily because we wanted a daily reminder of the life that God had provided for her....just as God provides for all things, even clothing the lilies of the valley Matt 6:25-30, he provided a little life for us and we never wanted to forget the miracle!
    After many blood tests and examinations both Lily and I were able to go home. We were only home a couple of days and Lily spiked a fever in the middle of the night. David and I took her back into the hospital only to enter an entirely different battle for our baby's life. The Doctor's couldn't get her fever to go down, not even a little. They had taken so much blood from her that she was black and blue all over and by that evening she only had one usable vain left on her body.  All we could do was wait.
     Lily and I were checked in and for five days we endured more tests, spinal taps, more blood... all to no avail. They could not find anything wrong with her, but still could not get her fever down. At this point they told me that a newborn w a fever this high would most likely die and if she survived she would have severe brain damage. It was the longest 5 days of my entire life. Waiting, waiting and waiting....I prayed with out ceasing for my little girl. I read God's word through the night and meditated on it in the day. It kept me strong beyond what I was emotionally and physically capable of.  I read Psalm 16 and 17 over and over again and the words of Psalm 17:6-8 were my prayer "I call on you, O God, for you will answer me; give ear to me and hear my prayer. Show the wonder of your great love, you who save by your right hand those who take refuge in you from their foes. Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings."
   On the 6th morning i woke up at 5 am.  The Dr. had taken one last round of blood the night before and was waiting for the cultures to come back. He said it would be two more days before we would know the results and this was the last possible thing we could test her for. I cried out to the Lord, "God, you know what I can bear, another day not knowing what's going on, unable to do anything to help my daughter...is beyond what i can handle." God did know, and God provided an answer that day actually. Lily was diagnosed w Meningitis. I was filled with such mixed emotions, so glad to finally know, but also felt like we were fighting an uphill battle. The Dr. informed us that there was fluid on Lily's brain. She could have severe brain damage, blindness, deafness....the list went on....then we were informed that it could come back   any time in the first two years of her life, if she ever got a fever we would have to take her back into the hospital.
     We stayed at the hospital until they were able to bring her fever down. I remember finally being able to go home. David came to get us, it was almost like a dream. I remember the weight of it all, having to keep such a close eye, also not knowing how greatly she had been effected by everything...hoping and praying that God would do another miracle and heal her little body completely and fully.
     We moved back to Oregon when Lily was 5 weeks old. She underwent a million more exams when we got here. And I feel as though I held my breath for the first two years of her life. Hoping, praying, trusting...repeat....Finally her 2nd birthday arrived and this enormous burden lifted, i felt like I could breathe again and just enjoy her, whatever may come...and just SO thankful that she was in the clear.

      I can tell you that she is a true miracle, every Doctor that has met her and read her medical history can attest to it! God saved her twice and He also did heal her body fully and completely. She is smart, funny, healthy and a reminder every single day that God is alive, at work in our lives...and not just that...He cares so deeply for us all, He hears our prayers, each cry for help and He gives us all we could ever need for each and every battle we face in this life. Do we live like we believe it? ....Because how we live out what we know to be true about God, is what's going to make a difference in this world for eternity.