Luisa Ray Morlandt
Born on October 24, 2012 at 1:13 p.m., weighing 7 lbs. 9 1/2 ounces and measuring 19 1/2 inches long.
Incredible is the word that comes to mind - an incredible birth day, an incredible two weeks since her birth, an incredible baby!
Allow me to explain her name. Luisa means "famed warrior," or "glorious warrior." Although names were at one time prophetic (as seen in the book of Genesis), we no longer believe this to be the case (ask the mother of any morose child named, "Joy."). Yet name meaning has been an important consideration for Tony and me when naming our children, not only because they will one day peruse the rotating racks of name meaning cards at Hallmark, but also as a direction for our prayers regarding their lives. For example, Ana means "grace" and Sophia means "wisdom." So we pray that Ana Sophia will exhibit and experience grace towards herself and others and that she will be gifted with wisdom in her life decisions. Vincent means "to conquer." We pray that he will be a conqueror of sin in his life. For Luisa we have prayed that she will be a "warrior" for those who are mistreated and forgotten.
"Ray" is for my grandfather (my mother's father - Carl Ray). Since discovering Luisa's due date to be October 21st, just one day before my grandfather's birthday, we determined to name Luisa after her great-grandfather. As God would have it, Luisa was actually born on the birthday of her other great-grandfather - GW Hughes (my dad's dad). He would have been 88 on the day of Luisa's birth. He would have smiled shyly when he met her, touching her cheek with that finger "worn off pickin' a guu-tar."
Allow me to explain her name. Luisa means "famed warrior," or "glorious warrior." Although names were at one time prophetic (as seen in the book of Genesis), we no longer believe this to be the case (ask the mother of any morose child named, "Joy."). Yet name meaning has been an important consideration for Tony and me when naming our children, not only because they will one day peruse the rotating racks of name meaning cards at Hallmark, but also as a direction for our prayers regarding their lives. For example, Ana means "grace" and Sophia means "wisdom." So we pray that Ana Sophia will exhibit and experience grace towards herself and others and that she will be gifted with wisdom in her life decisions. Vincent means "to conquer." We pray that he will be a conqueror of sin in his life. For Luisa we have prayed that she will be a "warrior" for those who are mistreated and forgotten.
"Ray" is for my grandfather (my mother's father - Carl Ray). Since discovering Luisa's due date to be October 21st, just one day before my grandfather's birthday, we determined to name Luisa after her great-grandfather. As God would have it, Luisa was actually born on the birthday of her other great-grandfather - GW Hughes (my dad's dad). He would have been 88 on the day of Luisa's birth. He would have smiled shyly when he met her, touching her cheek with that finger "worn off pickin' a guu-tar."
{Jill Aldridge photography}
I would like to share a little of Luisa's birth story with you while giving testimony to God's personal hand in the small details of life. Over these last 9+ months Tony and I have prayed protection and joy over Luisa Ray's arrival. But during the last three months of my pregnancy I began to pray something unique, something I had never prayed before. I was reading a book by Mary E. DeMuth titled Thin Places. This spiritual memoir recounts God's presence in the midst of tragic and everyday events. In writing her memoir, Mary DeMuth is able to look back on her life and see "thin places." In her words, "Thin places are snatches of holy ground, tucked into the corners of our world, where, if we pay very close attention, we might just catch a glimpse of eternity. (p. 11, Thin Places)" They are "snatches of time, moments really, when we sense God intersecting our world in tangible, unmistakable ways. They are aha moments, beautiful realizations, when the Son of God bursts through the hazy fog of our monotony and shines on us afresh. (p.12, Thin Places)." Any mother or father can tell you that a child's birth definitely fits the criteria of a "thin place." Inspired by this book, I began to pray intentionally for eyes to see the"thin places" in Luisa's birth.
The first "thin place" occurred the Sunday before she was born. This was her actual due date and we attended church as we normally would. As I will share in another post, I was anxious for Luisa's arrival, weary of being pregnant, and discouraged that she had yet to make her entrance. The first congregational hymn in the Order of Worship that morning was "Great is Thy Faithfulness." I nudged Tony in the ribs when I saw it in the program. We smiled at eachother knowingly and I offered a silent prayer of thanksgiving that God cared to meet us in this personal way. This precious hymn was sung at our wedding in 2001. Since then it has made it's appearance on other special days. I always receive this hymn, not as a sign, but rather as a reminder of God's sovereignty and imminence in our lives. As we sang the line, "All I have needed Thy hand hath provided. Great is Thy faithfulness Lord unto me," I echoed an Amen in my heart. These were the words I needed to hear to calm my heart, a poignant reminder that God was indeed in control. He has always been, and will continue to be faithful in His provisions. I need not fret over Luisa's arrival. She would arrive in His perfect timing.
I cannot think about the 2nd "thin place" without smiling. Sunday, her due date, came and went with the painful contractions that had become nightly occurrences. My weekly visits to the doctor confirmed that these contractions were effective but labor continued to evade me. Because of my growing discomfort and because the doctor was hesitant to allow Luisa to go past 41 weeks, we scheduled an induction for Monday, October 22nd. Something in my heart was uneasy about the date though. After prayer, we moved the induction to Wednesday, October 24th in an effort to give Luisa a few more days to arrive on her own.
Monday and Tuesday came and went with no baby. We were scheduled to arrive at the hospital for induction Wednesday morning at 6:00 a.m. On Tuesday night Tony and I set our alarms for 5 a.m. As I crawled into bed I prayed one last prayer that Luisa would arrive without the need for an induction. I said my "Amen" knowing that if God wanted her to arrive that night she would but if not, that was o.kay too. He is my Father, I believed He cared about my heart's desire for no induction, but I also believed that His judgements are perfect. I laid my head on the pillow and fell immediately into a peaceful sleep. Then at 4:30 a.m. I awoke with a start. My water had broken just 30 minutes before the alarm clock was set to go off! A huge smile spread across my face. Tony and I incredulously dressed and called my mom to come over a little earlier than planned. Can you sense the "thin place?!?" God answered my small, insignificant request for no induction, as only a loving Father can do, and He gave us a full night's sleep before the big day! Even though I would need potocin later in the morning to kick start the delivery, I would have no doubt that this was the day God ordained for Luisa to greet the world. Incredibly, the exact same thing happened with Vincent's birth. The night before we were scheduled to induce, I went into labor and arrived for my "induction" 7 cm. dilated. Only God.
I discovered the final "thin place" only after arriving back home. With a grateful heart I was contemplating all the answered prayers regarding Luisa's birth when one particular request came to mind. During my pregnancy Tony and I consistently prayed that Luisa would never be without oxygen, both in the womb and during the delivery; that her brain would be adequately oxygenated at all times. Replaying the birth I realized the Holy Spirit must have prompted us to pray this prayer. Luisa was born with the umbilical cord wrapped around her neck twice. Yet, she was born quickly, with little time in the birth canal (15 minutes of pushing). The doctor simply unwound the cord and she emerged with cheeks and lips perfectly pink, no signs of deoxygenation.
I share these "thin places" with you as a testimony that God cares about the details of our lives. I spent many years editing my prayers. I removed those things that seemed insignificant. I had witnessed, too often, people who prayed small details as a means of testing God: "Lord, allow me to find a parking place today." "Lord, cause this person to call me today." When the prayers went unanswered or answered, "no," people despaired. In their mind, God didn't show up. I also removed small desires from my prayers because I felt that God had "bigger fish to fry." How could I pray for no induction when there were other mothers pleading with God for their premature babies to survive and thrive?
Yet, God frequently asks us to bring everything to Him in prayer. That if it concerns us, it concerns Him too (1 Peter 5:7, Psalm 139:1-6). In the last 5 years, my prayers have taken on a new dimension. Praying to God as a loving Father, being sure that my heart is pure, with no intentions of "testing" Him, I've laid out those things that cause me anxiety - both big and small. It is times like Luisa's birth, when His answers are so clear, that will carry me through the times when He seems silent.
Rejoicing that the greatest "thin place" of Luisa's birth was re-discovering Him as my Abba Father.
Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! - Matthew 7:9-11
Monday and Tuesday came and went with no baby. We were scheduled to arrive at the hospital for induction Wednesday morning at 6:00 a.m. On Tuesday night Tony and I set our alarms for 5 a.m. As I crawled into bed I prayed one last prayer that Luisa would arrive without the need for an induction. I said my "Amen" knowing that if God wanted her to arrive that night she would but if not, that was o.kay too. He is my Father, I believed He cared about my heart's desire for no induction, but I also believed that His judgements are perfect. I laid my head on the pillow and fell immediately into a peaceful sleep. Then at 4:30 a.m. I awoke with a start. My water had broken just 30 minutes before the alarm clock was set to go off! A huge smile spread across my face. Tony and I incredulously dressed and called my mom to come over a little earlier than planned. Can you sense the "thin place?!?" God answered my small, insignificant request for no induction, as only a loving Father can do, and He gave us a full night's sleep before the big day! Even though I would need potocin later in the morning to kick start the delivery, I would have no doubt that this was the day God ordained for Luisa to greet the world. Incredibly, the exact same thing happened with Vincent's birth. The night before we were scheduled to induce, I went into labor and arrived for my "induction" 7 cm. dilated. Only God.
I discovered the final "thin place" only after arriving back home. With a grateful heart I was contemplating all the answered prayers regarding Luisa's birth when one particular request came to mind. During my pregnancy Tony and I consistently prayed that Luisa would never be without oxygen, both in the womb and during the delivery; that her brain would be adequately oxygenated at all times. Replaying the birth I realized the Holy Spirit must have prompted us to pray this prayer. Luisa was born with the umbilical cord wrapped around her neck twice. Yet, she was born quickly, with little time in the birth canal (15 minutes of pushing). The doctor simply unwound the cord and she emerged with cheeks and lips perfectly pink, no signs of deoxygenation.
Yet, God frequently asks us to bring everything to Him in prayer. That if it concerns us, it concerns Him too (1 Peter 5:7, Psalm 139:1-6). In the last 5 years, my prayers have taken on a new dimension. Praying to God as a loving Father, being sure that my heart is pure, with no intentions of "testing" Him, I've laid out those things that cause me anxiety - both big and small. It is times like Luisa's birth, when His answers are so clear, that will carry me through the times when He seems silent.
Rejoicing that the greatest "thin place" of Luisa's birth was re-discovering Him as my Abba Father.
Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! - Matthew 7:9-11
2 comments:
Precious baby girl and post. It amazes me how through the birth of our children (which is such an amazing miracle in itself), the Lord uses that time to speak to our hearts and reveal Himself even more so :)
Thank you so much for this post Sarah!
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