Two boys two girls from one boy and one girl. All born in the same season, summer was it for us. June 25, July 8,11 and 17. This is how it went, this was the rhythm. Two years apart, then three, then four years apart equalling four kids, in a nine year spread. We thought we were pushing the limits and had just enough craziness to keep us on our toes and our hands full of little hands to hold. Charlie had 2 hands and so did I and it all fit just right. We thought four was perfect and it was…. for 6 solid years. These years were good and went by fast. Four kids meant 4 giant blessings that we never deserved in the first place. We lived in a house that Charlie built. We had two cars, a laundry room and a barn with horses to ride. These years were busy and fun and full and often felt like something or someone was missing.
Remember when I said we were on our toes and all our hands held a little one. I wouldn’t trade these years for anything, I remember that feeling of little hands and toes. It was good and we were thankful. God was right there with us and gave us such grace in the years of hand holding, matching colors and summer birthdays.
Then, after the season of 4 kids and the house that Charlie built, life changed. We changed. We were no longer on our toes but learned how to get on our knees. Our hands could no longer hold what we had been given. With open our hands, and on our knees, our lives flowed over, and out of our control.
We Broke the Pattern.
We moved, bought property, and a business, and lost it all. It took awhile to lose everything, or at least to realize it, but it happened fast. In the midst of losing everything we found God faithful like we never ever knew before.
As our hands were pryed open and our knees hit the floor our hearts changed and so did our lives. We had another baby, Reece, who looked just like the last one. Reece and Luke look the most alike and have the biggest gap in years and differences in what life looked like in our family.
The Lord Builds Families
God gave us a season of 9 years of taking away all that we really knew and gave us more than we ever knew possible. We had Reece, adopted Esther, had Maezie, adopted Mik and had Cellie. In that order, just like that with a son in law and a grand-baby and a college kid named Claiborne right in the middle of it all. We were losing our house and God was building us on the inside.
Psalm 127: 1 Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain.
We no longer looked the same. We no longer matched. Our hands couldn’t hold it all and our toes were off the ground.
Today is Luke’s 23rd birthday. It always takes me back to what life was like when he was born. I never want to go back, too much goodness has happened, I wouldn’t take away one thing lost or gained. But when I look back, I will always be grateful and feel a sense of peace for the years of matching clothes and summer birthdays.
