A Time for Everything

It's an interesting thing when you get to pick your child's birthday... at least the day she is scheduled to be born. Of course, God could always be up to something else. I suppose it's that I want there to be a good story or meaning behind the day we chose, rather than, "Well, it was the only day that week we could get the first scheduled c-section of the morning, and I didn't want to have to wait around all day not eating or drinking anything."

I had spent time scouring scripture for verses looking for inspiration as to what day to select. Originally, we thought Eliana's birthday would be the week of March 15th. I looked up 3:15, 3:16, 3:17, 3:18, and 3:19 verses. Of course John 3:16 came to mind, but the one I really loved was Zephaniah 3:17... The Lord your God is with you, He is mighty to save. He will quiet you with His love. He will rejoice over you with singing.

So when it was suggested we bump her delivery up two weeks, it caught me a little off guard. I know it is a good decision, but I hadn't really spent any time looking up 3:3, 3:4, or 3:5 verses ahead of time. After Eliana's delivery was scheduled for March 4th, I looked up 3:4 verses, and unless read in context, many of them are quite random.

Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. ~ James 3:4

Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, "Look at us!" ~ Acts 3:4

For when one says, "I follow Paul," and another, "I follow Apollos," are you not mere men?
~ 1 Corinthians 3:4

When he lies down, note the place where he is lying. Then go and uncover his feet and lie down. He will tell you what to do." ~ Ruth 3:4

Yesterday my mom emailed me and shared that she had stumbled across Ecclesiastes 3:4 that morning. Ecclesiastes 3 is the well-known "A Time for Everything" passage... how there's a time for everything under the sun. Verse 4 of this chapter reads,

... a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance...

The New Living Translation of this verse reads,

... a time to cry and a time to laugh, a time to grieve and a time to dance...

I was so struck by the juxtaposition of the opposing verbs. While I had always thought of this scripture as talking about a distinct time to weep versus a distinct time to laugh, or a distinct time to grieve versus a distinct time to dance, I couldn't help but think about how March 4th is likely to be a day of both. A day full of joy and dancing as we welcome our daughter into this world... yet a day of grieving that her big brother isn't here to welcome her, too. A day of laughing as we meet Eliana and chuckle at all the cute little things babies do... yet a day of grieving that our time with Isaac was cut so short.

Of course, this is how I am anticipating the day to be, and I really don't know what it will actually be like. In talking with other moms who have lost a child and since given birth to another, it seems pretty accurate. The joy of welcoming a new baby won't erase the ache of missing the one you've lost; both co-exist, as I've shared before.

As far as finding Ellie's verse, though, God led me 1 Peter 3:4...

You should clothe yourselves instead with the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God.

What beautiful advice for a daughter... and for all of us women, really.

Thanks for holding us in your prayers as we continue to prepare with great hope for Eliana's birthday!