Burl's Prayer

The moment that store bought pregnancy test read positive i welcomed baby into our lives.  i was pregnant and expanding not only with a child, but with love, wonder, hope, and joy.

 "Burl" (a womb name for boy/girl that we gave this baby) became a resident of not just my body, but of my mommy heart. 
Burl made our family of 4 a family of 5, and was now invited to share in every moment of every day of our future.

 August 2000, pregnant with Caleb

Unlike our other pregnancies when we honestly didn't care if we had a boy or a girl, this time was different. Both Michael and i longed for a boy.  God had placed the name and the son, "Caleb Michael" on both our hearts.  We hoped for him, and never considered the possibility of another.

Still we referred to baby as "Burl."

Around the time i discovered we were pregnant i had just begun to pray scripture over each of our children every day.  To this day each of our kiddos has the same scripture designated as prayer, blessing, and hope over them.

This is the 3x5 card with "Burl's"  scripture on it.

Burl's Scripture

Psalm 139:14-17

"I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;  Your works are wonderful, I know that full well.  My frame was not hidden from you when I was woven together in the secret place in the depths of the earth Your eyes saw my unformed body.  All the days ordained for me were written in Your book before one of them came to be. 

How precious to me are your thoughts O God!

How vast is the sum of them!"

i didn't grasp until weeks later that God had in his mercy ordained for me to pray these words.  

This scripture (tears) would become more than words of blessing... they would become real. 


Mystery embracing me.  Me embracing Mystery.