wading into the river..

It's fitting that our baby is the size of a large pineapple this week because that is exactly what I can't inhale enough of!  Well, actually, just fruits in general.  Thankfully, we live on an island abounding in delicious, tropical fruit and my sweet husband brings home a steady supply for the raving prego!  Our little man is growing at a steady pace.  At our last appointment he was positioned head down, with his butt pushed all to one side making for a lovely, obtuse shaped belly.  It's exciting to know that he's getting ready to make his grand entrance and my doctor and I were marveling at the miracle this process truly is.  Our baby has quite the journey ahead of him, I'll spare you the birth canal details; suffice it to say, he is perfectly designed to execute the mission.  And as I continue to learn more about the miraculous feat my body will perform during labor I am amazed to discover the ways God has intricately prepared me for this!  The details involved in pregnancy and birth are absolutely fascinating and I will not be told that it's 'just a coincidence'.
The little man is not the only one preparing for his big debut.  Several family members went together and bought us our crib and it is fully assembled and ready to go!  The room we will use as a 'nursery' still bears resemblance to a storage unit/coffee packaging facility.  But, it's a work in progress and, as of late, one of my favorite places to spend time.  Call me cheesy but I love to go in there and simply dream; folding his tiny, little man clothes and reading sweet bed time stories.  Derek and I talk about all the potential wrapped up in our pineapple-sized son; the places he'll go, the lives he'll touch and the amazing plans God has for him.  We know it is an honor to be parents and we are humbled by the task we have been given, our role in this new life.  On a less profound note, we're also anticipating the hilarity that will accompany life with a son and we have conversations about how burping should probably be frowned upon at the dinner table!

[34 -and a half- weeks!]

This week we received two handmade blankets in the mail, a quilted one from my Grandma and a knitted one from Derek's Grandma.  I know I can blame this on the hormones, but looking at these incredible treasures and realizing the heirlooms they will hopefully become makes me fairly emotional!  I say 'hopefully' because I am very aware of the fact that our son will, no doubt, be utilizing these beautiful gifts, from his great grandmothers, in the form of blanket forts, capes and things I can't even begin to imagine.
Clearly, I have baby on the brain.  But there are other happenings in our life.  We faced issue after issue at the coffee farm; every time we attempted to accomplish something in the fields there was a malfunction of some sort.  The ridiculousness was ALMOST comical.  The mower broke down, the rain was bound and determined to start up just as soon as we started working, empty gas tanks, both weed whackers having a melt down within minutes of each other.. you get the picture.  Regardless of our series of unfortunate events, we did manage to whack through one section of field, did some spring cleaning in the greenhouse and hung traps on the property to counteract the Borer Beetles.
I'm so thankful for my husband.  Although he's adamant that I take plenty of water breaks and never overexert myself, he also makes me feel useful.  While most people will no longer let me lift a finger, Derek knows I'm still very capable of most tasks.  So, I weed whack until he tells me to sit down and eat a snack.  He lets me mow at his landscaping jobs and then declares ice cream cones a necessity.  He knows that I need to feel needed and he goes out of his way to make this possible.  And when my muscles are sore and I'm feeling fragile, he takes over dinner preparation (which means we had steak!) and rubs my tired feet.  He brings me flowers and even sacrificed the last of his Doritos for me in a moment of desperate hunger.. and that, my friends, is love :)

[Yep, I'm married to THIS guy!!]

Derek had several landscaping jobs this week.  We're so thankful for work that we don't have to wait a whole year to be paid for :)  Coffee farming requires a lot of effort, time and money but doesn't exactly guarantee a steady income.  We wouldn't trade our time spent on the farm for anything but as our family expands we are really seeking God's will for the next step and where our focus should be.  It's incredible to see Him provide, literally, day by day.  Talk about a faith building experience!  It's also amazing to see people recognizing Derek's talents and abilities and we pray that this landscaping business will continue to blossom and grow!
We have big plans and incredible ideas for the future but we are constantly being reminded of the fact that we need to be faithful in the little things, good stewards of all that we've been given for THIS day.  Living this way keeps our faith strong and our priorities in line.  God is teaching us, molding us and, as we do our best to listen and obey, He is preparing us for the next step.
God really spoke to me through the story of Naaman this week.  Here's a quick version: (but you should really check out the story in 2 Kings 5)  Naaman is commander of the army, a brave and valiant soldier, who happens to be afflicted with a nasty skin disease.  Thanks to his wife's servant girl he learns of Elisha, a prophet in Israel that might be able to cure him.  Upon arriving at Elisha's house he is instructed to head down to the Jordan river and wash himself seven times.  He is told he will be cleansed and 'his flesh restored'.  But, this odd request was not at all what Naaman expected and it actually ticked him off.   He refused and 'went off in a rage'.  Thankfully, his servant talked some sense into him, reminding him that if the prophet had asked for some great show of strength and manliness he would have been quick to accept the challenge.  'How much more, then, when he tells you, 'Wash and be cleansed'!' the servant points out.  So, he relents and, after washing in the river, Naaman was completely healed, 'his flesh restored.. clean like that of a young boy.'
Now, thankfully, I don't have any flesh eating diseases.  But I do recognize myself in the attitude of this commander, blowing off tasks that may seem below me or just down right ridiculous!  I let myself become so caught up in grand plans to 'be all I can be', change the world, and 'be used by God' that I underestimate what God is doing in the day-by-day and seemingly insignificant tasks.  In missing these, or pushing them aside, I am also missing out on the reward, the blessing or, in Naaman's case, the healing that follows.  It is a journey, yes.  I know that I am made for great things and I don't need to squelch that knowledge, but I must be obedient and faithful in THIS moment.
And, for the record, it wasn't just a toe dunked in from the safety of the river bank.  Naaman had to go all the way in and the instructions were to 'wash yourself seven times'.  This was no sponge bath.  God will put obstacles, difficulties, and unknowns all along our path to teach us.  We may not always understand His teaching methods but when we've learned the lesson; when we finally wade into that not-so-pristine river, then He can lead us on to the next part of our journey.