Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Day 2 Julia meet Julia

12:30 comes early , or late, depending on your point of view. To me it was early this morning. I was staying over at friends while my house was full of family. I think I actually laid down at around 10:45PM. We had, giving honor and glory and praise to the father of lights. I do believe he was pleased with everyone and everything. His presence carried us to new levels. I was very tired, exhausted and really a little apprehensive about what the next day would bring. Jennifer and Sean and the girls were flying out the next morning, and Hernan, Lisa and Lisadawn were leaving around lunch. I was already dreading being alone in the house. It seemed like I had just gone to sleep when the phone rang. It was Lisa telling me that I needed to change my plans. She was going into labor. I was going to be a grandfather! That was obviously no surprise. But so soon after the service, that was a surprise! Being the calm granddad that I am, I tried to go back to sleep until she needed me. I figured we were in for a long day. After all her last labor was over 12 hours. I forgot that Julia had told Lisa a couple of weeks ago that she dreamed that the baby came very quick this time.

Now I always figured that Lisa would have a girl. You see, my father had 4 sisters, I had 3 sisters, 2 daughters and 3 granddaughters. So the odds of a grandson have never seemed high. But you can always hope. With all the modern technology, you think that I would have known whether it was a girl or a boy. But that’s if you use the modern technology. Lisa is all about natural, organic, and home births. Julia and I have learned a lot from her about healthy eating and living. Julia was gung – ho about it all. Me, I had to be brought into it slowly. It’s been a few years now, and I am a believer. I haven’t had a diet coke in over 3 and a half years. I’m healthier than I have ever been. My blood work is better than ever and I attribute most of these results to healthy eating. But lets get back to the sex of my future grandchild. Being a man, I obviously was hoping for a boy. Lisa had a name picked out and I was ready. She still hadn’t picked out a name for the girl. Then came last week’s tragedy with Julia. After her passing, we were in the hospital when Lisa told me if the baby was a girl, she was going to name the baby Julia. That shifted everything in me. Now I wanted another granddaughter more than anything. I felt that it would be a blessing for God to bring another Julia into my world.

So here we are, two trips to Wal-Mart later, and she is delivering, right in our house, with the whole family there. It was such a blessing to have a birth, pray for life and health. The goodness of God released in our presence with a new promise of life. It was as if Julia talked to Jesus and asked if he would arrange a perfect night for us in what would have been a grief filled night. I’m crying as I write this now. The tears are a mixture of joy and sorrow. I know there will be many days of joy, and some days of sorrow. I heard Graham Cooke talk about Gods grace. He said Grace is Gods divine gift to enjoy and Gods divine gift to endure. Today has been full of Grace. The good news is I’m still here with family. Jennifer is staying until Thursday, and I’m not sure when Lisa and the gang are leaving. As I close tonight I know that sometime this morning around 3AM Julia met Julia, and that is good.

Oh, I don’t want to leave you hanging. After our first date in April, Julia and I dated 2 more times. It was a long distance relationship. I graduated from Pilot Training in Texas on July 8, and we were married Sat July 11 1971.

4 comments:

  1. Praise God. Every year around this time, you will join together with family and have a BIRTHDAY PARTY! That's a gift.

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  2. It was awesome to share that time with you and the family early this morning. It's something I will never forget -- and I'm sure Adair and Meleah would say the same thing. Keep up the good work with your blog!

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  3. Tom, I know the exact Graham Cooke "sermonette" you are talking about and it has ministered deeply to me. "There are no more good days and bad days anymore, only days of grace--sometimes grace allows us to enjoy where we are, and sometimes grace allows us to endure where we are, but now there are only days of grace." Isn't it incredible to know that Julia is bowed before the throne singing with the chorus of the angels and saints to the One Who Was and Is and Is To Come!

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  4. We did the same thing after my father-in-law died. Our son's name was going to be Noah Douglas. Now he is Noah Chuck. After Chuck died I prayed that this baby would have his eyes. And he does. Noah has blue/green eyes, like his Papa. I believe that God gives us those desires (for a girl, or for blue/green eyes) to remind us of how much He loves us, even though the ones that we love are now with Him. You are so strongly on my heart right now and I am enjoying this journey on which you are taking us through your blog. ~ Valarie

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