The holidays remind me to be thankful for my girls

I have spent so many Easter Sundays making baskets.  Baskets for those I loved, but not for my own children.  I made baskets for my husband.  I made baskets for my dogs.  I made baskets for our friends who would come visit on their breaks from college, some of those years, my brother was in the group.


But, each year, I would dream of the children I hoped to someday make baskets for.


Infertility hits each person differently.  For me, it was 7 years of trying to have a baby, fighting cancer, losing babies early to heaven and using assisted reproduction.  I consider us super successful.  I know of so many people who are still trying to have just one baby join them on this earth, and I somehow managed to be blessed with three!


So, as I put together three Easter baskets this year, I fight back the tears as I think of how thankful I am that Jesus loved me enough to let these three precious little girls join my family.  And, I breathe prayers for those I know who are still going through the fight to just have one child.  And for those I know who have faced pain and triumphed.  

This being Easter, a holiday that has some meaning to us in our religious lives, I also think of how God must have felt when He had to turn His back on His only Son those long years ago.  If I ever had to turn my back to my children as they cried out to me, my heart would be breaking.  It would be something I would never be able to forget.  And yet, God allowed this to happen so He could provide a way for us to join Him forever.


We have a song for our service tomorrow.  One of the verses seems to fit what I feel right now...


Whatever happens...whatever you see...
Whatever your eyes tell you has become of me
This is not...
Not the end...
I am making all things new again


There is hope for everyone.