Abigail giving us an almost smile at two weeks old.
Abigail means father's joy. We knew while we were waiting on a child that God had promised us a daughter, and that we were to name her Abigail. We both loved the meaning. So while praying one night God told me that Abigail would be our joy, but her name was because she was "His joy."
And true to her name, Abigail is joy. She immediately filled our hearts, home, and life with joy beyond measure. She was an incredibly easy baby who smiled early, laughed early, and was just calm and peaceful. You could sense the joy from the beginning.
As she's gotten older and her personality has come out more, the word that best describes her still...joy. She is silly as well as full of smiles and laughter. It's always amazing to me that wherever we go people tell us how cute she is. She generally looks at them and gives a cute wave to seal the oohs and aahs over her.
So last weekend I was at a woman's Bible study and was sharing that Jason and I have been talking a bit about the Bible verses on asking God for things and getting them, being healed, and how that all applies to us. A fear I have is that if we continue to pray for God to heal her, and she grows up seeing that He didn't that she will become bitter at Him. Every woman there immediately chimed in that they could not ever see Abigail getting bitter. She is joy.
I think that was the first time I realized where her beauty came from. When I look at her and see her chocolaty skin, big brown eyes, and eyelashes that reach the heavens I can't help but think she's beautiful. However the thing that stands out most is how full of joy she always is. It makes her so beautiful that people can't help but comment on her.
As Jason and I lied in bed last night talking, I shared with him how much I fear our journey stealing my little girls joy; how it seems hard to imagine my little girl being poked, pumped full of stuff, and possibly operated on, and coming out with joy. But then this morning as I played with her, it's hard for me to imagine anything ever taking that joy away.
Abigail has taken to grabbing both of my hands and saying "pray." A lot. When Jason is home she asks him to pray. Yesterday she even asked our dog to hold her hands and pray. She asks me to pray while she's sitting on the potty, eating, and playing on her slide. It has reminded me that God told me that she was His joy. The joy of the Lord can't be stolen from my little girl.
We will walk in the joy of the Lord,
Beautiful post! Your daughter is certainly a gift from God. I love the naked painting!
ReplyDeleteJenna
Our Cassia Joy is and always has been just as you are describing your girlie~ joy abounding. She had 2 surgeries before she was 1yo and a colostomy to care for most of her first year. The little girl laughed and bubbled through the whole thing.
ReplyDeleteHer second surgery was when she was 10 1/2 months old. Twenty-four hours after major abdominal surgery my little girl was playing with a Burt (from Sesame Street) balloon. Both hands had IV sites and those bulky velco wraps around them to keep her from messing up the IV. She could only hold onto Burt's hand with her fingers inside the wrap, and only when we stuck his hand in there for her to grab. She was shaking that balloon with all of her might and cracking up! 24 hours after surgery! The nurse walked in while she was having a good time with Burt. She was shocked! She said she had never seen a baby that happy so soon after surgery. She said that 24 hours out, she should still be in too much pain to be that happy.
Joy. God built it into her and called it by name. If he did it for our girlie, He can do it for your girlie. I think you'll be amazed.