Don't I give God most glory when I am fully alive? And I am most fully alive beholding God.
-- Ann Voskamp
May we behold him in birth pains. The struggle. The anguish. The mystery.
Though we suffer. Hold our breath. Fight for peace. For breath. The labor. It will end.
We will behold the promises of God. Today and for eternity.
New life. Grace ever after.
New life. Grace ever after.
May we be fully alive this day. Aware of the goodness.
Beholding each grace. Each glory. Each God-gift moment.
The midwives delivered a beautiful baby girl yesterday. Gloria. Her mother, Francois is in Heartline's sewing program. From the moment I met Francois I'd always ask her..."Are you happy to be pregnant? Are you excited that your baby is coming soon?" Yes. A toothy-smiled yes. Every single time.
Francois can support her baby. She has the skills she needs to be a mother. This is not every woman's story. There is a marked difference in the hearts of the women who know they can support their children and the ones who know they can't. I'm so proud of the sewing program at Heartline. So proud of Francois.
I don't know. Maybe I'm overly sentimental. Maybe sitting next to these women, rubbing their bellies, holding their hands to pray makes me more aware that they are real. Real people. Real women. Real women working hard to change the direction of their lives. Maybe how real they are makes the thought of buying a purse from Target or the mall seem too hollow. Too ordinary. Buying a bag from a place like Haitian Creations where a purchase helps write a beautiful story in the life of a woman and her child feels a lot like redemption. Like I need to take my shoes off. Cause something holy and wonderful just took place.
photo credit: all photos in this post were taken by Joanna Howard, Heartline midwife.
10 comments:
Beautiful post,
Beautiful mother,
Beautiful baby,
Beautiful work!
First of all, Heather, thanks for sharing. I love having faces to place with the prayers!
Secondly, anyone thinking about having a purse party, DO IT! They are so much fun--I cooked some Haitian food and we just were able to hang out and pray for the women. I even had some co-workers who do not claim to be following Jesus and they prayed with us and one girl even bought 9 purses to give out as gifts throughout the year. It was such a fun time and it's easy to sell the purses since they are for such a great cause!
These women amaze and inspire me!
God has given them such beauty and grace. This mother is elegant in my eyes. Her baby is beautiful!
Beautiful images. Thank you for sharing the news of the happy new Mommy.
ok- so you don't know me and I don't know you... but I read your blog. I love to read about what the LORD is doing at Heartline, and to see how the women and their babies are doing. We have 3 teens, and are going to meet our new kids we are adopting, this weekend. They are 5 & 3, and have been in foster care. We are so excited. I am a birth mother too, I had a baby in college that I placed for adoption, and he is graduating from college next month. Although you and I don't know each other, we are sisters in Christ, and I wanted to share our wonderful news with you.
Beauty is all around. Beautiful young mothers, amazingly beautiful little baby, beautiful God.
If this doesn't make you want to buy a new purse, I don't know what does.
Such a precious brand new little person and such a precious mama. What a beautiful picture of what is happening at Heartline.
Beautiful post!
Oh, that Mama is just radiant. So much beauty...
Beautiful!
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