photo: Steve Sparks
graphic: Martha G. Brady

Happy Birthday Dawn! I probably have written one of these before. Part of the reason I’m writing today is because my card didn’t get mailed on time…a common failure of mine!

I can remember how unbelievably over the moon we were the day you were born! It did not reflect negatively at all on the births of your younger sisters. We were plenty excited when they were born too. We never lost our relief when each one was born safe and sound.

But before your birth, we had a miscarriage and almost a year before, your older sister was stillborn!

We had no way to prepare for it ahead of time. It was totally unexpected. But it happened. Despite the fact that we had little difficulty getting pregnant, we wondered if we were ever going to have a healthy, live child.

With your birth, that happened. We had to pinch ourselves with excitement! Not only were you alive, you were beautiful! You had blonde hair and were alert. I kept telling myself you were probably going to be colicky. But you weren’t. Of course, you woke at night, but you went back to sleep and had a minimal amount of digestive disorders.

Why did I think GOD would give us a miserable child as penance for having a live one? I had to go back and re-examine my view of GOD and who He was/is. He loves to give good gifts to His children! Why couldn’t I believe that?

I had a very skewed vision of who GOD was for sure!

Now you are married with 2 beautiful children of your own that keep you very busy! In the next year, you will be settling into a place of GOD’s calling for you and your family. Steve’s time in seminary will be completed. We will be excited to see where He places your family geographically as you serve Him now and continue in the future.

Blessings dear Dawn during this year of transition!