On this day eight years ago...
at 12:01 a.m. in the morning...
in The Dalles, Oregon...
my daughter,
Faith Louise Dendy...
took her very first breath of life!
Happy Birthday Faith!
My iWitness...The Lord God Almighty is the master at putting together jigsaw puzzle pieces to make an incredible picture. The story of how Faith Louise Dendy came into our arms and into our lives is nothing short of a miracle.
The Monday before Thanksgiving in 2004 I was looking to have my friend Rev. Jim Hazlett, from the Gateway Presbyterian Church in The Dalles, Oregon assist in my installation service as the new pastor of First Presbyterian Church, Klamath Falls, Oregon. I called the church and Joan Ahier, the secretary answered the phone...
"Hey Joan, it's David Dendy. How's it going?"
"Hey David! Well, we are a little stressed these days. Brian's 17 year old daughter Barbara from Hawaii is living with us... and she's... pregnant."
"Wow! How about that! What is she going to do with the baby?"
"Well.... we don't know."
"If she wants to give up the baby for adoption, let us know. We'll adopt the baby."
"Are you serious?"
"Uh.... uh.... uh.... Yes!" (Thinking to myself... I better talk to Julie!!)
"I'll have Brian call you tomorrow."
On Tuesday, Brian called. This is what he said...
"David... you are not going to believe this. On Sunday night, Barbara was praying with the youth group and this is what she prayed out loud. 'Lord, I want to give this baby up for adoption. But I don't want to go find the people. You will have to bring the people to me.'"
I called the next day!
After three years of trying to get pregnant, after three rounds of in vitro fertilization and after three face to face weekend visits with Barbara, Faith Louise Dendy came into this world, and into our lives and into our hearts!
Happy Birthday Faith!!
We love you more than you will ever know!!
Thank you Barbara for giving Faith breath! Thank you Brian and Joan Ahier! Thank you to my dear brother in Christ the Reverend Jim Hazlett and thank you to the congregation of Gateway Presbyterian Church in The Dalles, Oregon for nurturing and loving Barbara through those uncharted waters. Thank you to the congregation of the First Presbyterian Church, Klamath Falls, Oregon for accepting Faith from day one and loving her in a way that no other church could have!!
Thank you to all the other aunties, uncles, grandmas and grandpas that have shown the love of Jesus to Faith for these first eight years. You have shaped her life in more ways than you will ever know.
Thank you Julie for loving, teaching, shaping, caring and praying for Faith like no other Mom could have...
Thank you to all of you for being a piece of the puzzle for Faith's life.. Her puzzle wouldn't look the same without you!!
And last but certainly not least...
Thank you dear Lord for knitting together Faith in a most spectacular way! She has the biggest and bluest eyes of anyone I have ever met. May those "baby blues" always keep their focus on you throughout her life! Thank you for the gift of a lifetime!"
And that's my iWitness...
Laugh often and Fear not!
David!
"For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb." (Psalm 139. 13)
No comments:
Post a Comment