LIFE Day 2014

This year marks the four year anniversary of David's birth. Sometimes it seems like longer because much has happened over the past four years, and sometimes it is hard to believe that the time has passed so quickly. I am thankful to say that the Lord has brought tremendous healing to my heart through these years.

We recently moved into a new house, which has a bigger yard and a playroom for the kids. We are thankful for this blessing. Sometimes I wonder if we would be able to live here if David were still with us because our new house has a lot of steps, and I question whether his weak body would be able to handle them on a daily basis. It may sound strange, but I still like to imagine life with him in our family. Even though he is not here with us, he is very much a part of our family, and we look forward to being reunited with him one day in heaven.

Because we have been quite busy with the move, we did not have as much time as usual to devote to David's birthday. This year, we decided to honor David's life by buying some preemie clothes for a baby girl whose mother chose to give her life even though she was suffering from severe preeclampsia and doctors warned her of the risks of continuing the pregnancy. Our friend was hospitalized for ten weeks, and her baby girl was born a couple of weeks ago weighing in at 1.4 pounds. I know that these types of decisions are not easy, and I applaud Julie for choosing life for her daughter, Violet.

Our family also signed up to assemble “Weekend Food Bags” for children in local elementary schools that have been identified by their school counselors as being in need of additional food for the weekend. I am excited to do this together. It's a great opportunity to serve Jesus and others as a family.

Here are a couple pictures from David's birthday this year. Thank you to our friends and family who remembered David with us. I love that his birthday is a special opportunity each year to Leave an Impact for Eternity by serving others in Jesus' name.

2013 L.I.F.E. Day Recap

I apologize for being inexcusably late in posting this update. Thanks to everyone who participated in and supported us for David's L.I.F.E. Day 2013!

We enjoyed a trip to the circus on David's birthday. We like to do something 

special to remember David on his birthday each year.

After that, we dropped off some supplies at Wellspring Living.

Brought in our neighbor's recycling bins.

And made some cards for the children that we sponsor in Kenya.

It was a good day remembering David and celebrating his sweet life.

Thanks to all of our dear friends and family who celebrated David with us. Your generosity was a tremendous blessing to us and many others!

Michele & David ~
This year my husband and I decided to buy your David Nathaniel a birthday present (a pair of track shoes) and give it to one of my husband's students, Trey. He delivered the gift yesterday (March 1st) in time for Trey's track meet. Although I don’t know Trey, David says he is a talented, hardworking, and dedicated high school student who lives with and loves his single mom.

Luke & Asa's Mommy ~
Today I was buying food for our Lenten food drive at church. To honor the sweet life of your precious David, I bought twice as much food as I had originally planned. Hopefully this food will feed someone in need in David's name. I know he's playing with Asa and watching over us all. They are our beautiful Angels.

Laura ~
1) Found two families ( a single woman and family with autistic child) who had the same surgery that my 8-year old son had that needed the same probiotic that we used after surgery. We had several months’ worth stored and no longer needed, so gave them our remaining boxes. Each box cost several hundred dollars so we were able to give some financial help to these families. Thankfully our son is doing so well he doesn’t require this medication at this time. 2) Our 5-year old daughter’s Girl Scout troop is planting winter herbs and vegetables this week in greenhouse to later plant in community garden. We will plant a row dedicated to David and donate the crop once it is ready.

Mom ~
Ministered to those in assisted living through time, music, and words of encouragement.

Jenn & Harrison ~
Made cookies for neighbors.

Kevin & Dana ~
Baked cookies for our neighbor whose wife died this year.

David & Lena ~
Took out neighbors' trash.

Brittney ~
Made a meal for a friend battling breast cancer.

Valerie ~
Helped a homeless man downtown with some food and connected him with a ministry nearby.

A dear friend~
Served our family on David's birthday by coming to our home and taking care of Benjamin, Caleb, and Esther while Tom and I spent some special time together.

Delighted Magazine Spring 2013

I am excited to announce that David Nathaniel's story is featured on page 76 of the Spring 2013 issue of Delighted Magazine. Thank you, Amanda Gomes, for sharing David's story.

http://issuu.com/delightedmag/docs/delighted_spring2013/1

Third Annual L.I.F.E. Day

March 1, 2013

3rd Annual David Nathaniel

LIFE (Leave an Impact for Eternity) Day

Well, friends, I haven't completely fallen off the face of the earth. I am still here, and I want to say "THANK YOU" to my faithful followers who are reading this post! 

Over the next week or so our family will be remembering David Nathaniel's small but powerful life by Leaving an Impact For Eternity (L.I.F.E.), and we welcome you to join us in our effort to bring LIFE to others.For 2013, our family's theme verse is Isaiah 1:17. 

"Learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow's cause." 

In January, we began supporting two orphans in a Kenya, Anon and Millicent. For David's birthday, Benjamin and Caleb are making something special to send to these precious children.

Our family is also getting involved with an organization called Wellspring Living. Wellspring Living's mission is to confront the issue of childhood sexual abuse and exploitation through awareness, training, and treatment programs for women and girls. Wellspring desires for these young women to see God’s love and hopes that they will want to explore a relationship with Him for themselves. 

If you would like to join us in David's L.I.F.E. celebration, here is how you can participate:

1. Sometime around David's birthday (March 1st), do something to Leave an Impact For Eternity. It can be for a stranger, a friend, a family member, etc. You can do one thing, or several things. For some ideas, click here.


2. Come back to this blog and leave a comment letting us know how you celebrated David's birthday with us (tell us about your act of LIFE), or email me your act of LIFE along with a picture, if you have it.

Colossians 3:12-14 has been our guide for the past two years in remembering David. It says, “Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.”

When we, as believers, “put on” this type of life, we are inviting the world around us to live a new way, an eternal way. The invitation is not to embrace a new ethic but to embrace Jesus that offers this new life (Col 3:1). So, in celebration of David’s 3rd Annual LIFE Day, our goal is to “put on” this kingdom of God mindset so that we might leave an eternal impact.

If you would like to spread the word about our LIFE celebration, please feel free to copy our invitation at the top of this post and put it on your blog, or link this page to your Facebook or Twitter account. Thank you for remembering the life of our son, David Nathaniel, with us.

Mercy and Compassion

Seven months ago, Esther came into this world and into our home. Words cannot express the tremendous joy and healing that she has brought to our family. Though I will always miss David, I thank God that my arms are not empty anymore.

This time last year, I could barely be in the same room with a baby, let alone hold one. I forced myself to hold two babies between David and Esther. While both of these sweet babies are very special to me, holding them in my arms felt completely unnatural. Though I was a mother of three, the deep pain inside my heart suffocated my motherly instinct.

As I remember these moments of heartache, I can hardly believe that they took place just last year. The transformation that my heart has undergone in the last seven months amazes me. I am incredibly grateful to my Heavenly Father who is full of compassion and mercy (James 5:11). I want to shout from the rooftops, "Hallelujah, God is so good!"

If it were not for the loss of David, I do not know if I would have decided to leave my job to stay at home with my kids. And though raising three little ones is a challenging and exhausting task, there is no job in the world that I would rather have. Every moment and every memory is precious, and that sweet baby girl is healing balm to my heart.

God's ways and His plans continue to be a mystery to me, but His steadfast love is undeniable.

I remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness and the gall...Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness...Though he brings grief, he will show compassion, so great is his unfailing love (Lamentations 3:19-32).

If you find yourself in the deep, dark night of suffering right now, do not despair. Joy will come in the morning. He will turn your wailing into dancing. He will remove your sackcloth and clothe you with joy (Psalm 30:11). He will bring healing to your heart that you never dreamed possible.

I know because that's exactly what He has done for me.

2012 L.I.F.E. Day Recap

The days surrounding David's birthday were difficult.  The feeling of sadness was tough to shake as we remembered our short time here with David.  While we celebrated the hours of his life, we mourned the years that will never come to pass.

Our L.I.F.E. celebration brought a ray of sunshine to our week.  We made and delivered 264 cookies to our neighbors for David's birthday.  Each knock on the door was greeted with a different reaction...many smiles, a few looks of confusion, and a couple of questions as to whether we had recently moved into the neighborhood. All in all, our trip around the neighborhood was a success, and we hope it is the beginning of many new friendships.

Tom did a great job baking,

I did my best to make the packaging pretty,

and off we went to deliver the cookies.

Thank you to everyone who remembered our family during David's birthday week.  We were comforted and blessed by each phone call, email, and card that we received.

And special thanks to each friend and family member who participated in David's L.I.F.E. celebration:

• Aunt Jenny brought a meal to family at church who was welcoming home a new baby;

• Nina and Pawpaw shared cookies with their neighbors;

• Michelle made cupcakes for the NICU at the hospital where her twin sons were born;  

• Julie and Ben reached out to their neighbors and invited them to a party in celebration of Julie's baptism;

• Stacy celebrated David's life by blessing someone on his birthday;

• Marye spent special time with her grandsons;

• And several dear friends made donations to the David Nathaniel Giving Fund.

Second Annual LIFE Day

March 1, 2012

Second Annual David Nathaniel

LIFE (Leave an Impact for Eternity) Day

It is hard to believe that we will be celebrating David's 2nd birthday 10 days from now. Every time that I think of him or look at his picture, my heart longs to see him again. I am so thankful that one day, I will.

Over the next couple of weeks our family will be remembering David Nathaniel's small but powerful life by Leaving an Impact For Eternity (LIFE), and we welcome you to join us in our effort to bring LIFE to others.

Here are the details on how you can participate:

1. Sometime around David's birthday (March 1st), do something to Leave an Impact For Eternity (LIFE). It can be for a stranger, a friend, a family member, etc. You can do one thing, or several things. For some ideas, click here.

2. Come back to this blog and leave a comment letting us know how you celebrated David's birthday with us (tell us about your act of LIFE), or email me your act of LIFE along with a picture, if you have it.

The Biblical basis behind this idea is found in Colossians 3:12-14, which says, “Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.”

When we, as Christians, “put on” this type of life, we are inviting the world around us to live a new way, an eternal way. The invitation is not to embrace a new ethic but to embrace Jesus that offers this new life (Col 3:1). So, in celebration of David’s Nathaniel's LIFE Day, our goal is to “put on” this kingdom of God mindset so that we might leave an eternal impact. For more information, please click here.

This year, our family will be loving our neighbors as an act of LIFE. David's birthday, March 1, will mark the 10th anniversary of the day that we moved into our home. During our 10-year tenure in this neighborhood, we have failed in many ways to share the love of Jesus with our neighbors. However, we have repented from this and resolved to be obedient to our calling as followers of Christ.

As a first step, we are reaching out to our neighbors by bringing each family some homemade goodies and attaching a note explaining the reason behind the celebration of our son David's life.

If you would like to spread the word about our LIFE celebration, please feel free to copy our invitation at the top of this post and put it on your blog, or link this page to your Facebook or Twitter account. Thank you for remembering the life of our son, David Nathaniel, with us.

A Valentine's Tribute

Two years ago, my husband Tommy hijacked my blog and wrote me the sweetest Valentine, just two weeks before our son David was born. This year, it is my turn to return the favor.

Dear Tommy,

We have been through so much together over the last 12 years. Law school, seminary, job loss, and losing David. Statistics say that our marriage should be over, but I say that we are stronger than ever. By the grace of God, we have emerged from the deep valleys as the best of friends.

The bond that we share has come at a great cost. Though we should not have been surprised at our suffering (I Peter 4:12), we were. As the trials of this life closed in on us, the heat became almost unbearable. At times, it seemed as though we could not withstand the Refiner's fire (Malachi 3:2). The process of our sanctification together has been difficult and painful.

God's plan for our lives was not the path that we envisioned when we said our vows 12 years ago. But God, in His infinite wisdom and immeasurable love, ordained each day of our lives before one of them came to be (Psalm 139:16). His kiss of affliction has made us what we are today.

Through it all, you became my rock and my safe haven. You led me with strength and tenderness. Your spiritual fortitude and unwavering hope in God nourished and strengthened my spirit. Thank you for recognizing the great importance of your role as my spiritual leader.

In my brokenness, I learned to lean on you, and you were faithful to hold me up. Thank you for loving me faithfully and sacrificially. Thank you for watering my soul with truth, cultivating God's work in my life, and honoring me as your wife and fellow heir of grace. You are truly a gift.

I love you,

Rachael

One Incredible Year

2011 was quite a year, and I can honestly say, one of the most amazing years of my life so far.

It was a breath of fresh air when the clock struck midnight on January 1, 2011. After losing David in 2010, I needed new hope, and I prayed that the new year would bring it.

January brought us a southern snow storm. We had so much fun being housebound and playing in the snow for 5 whole days!

February gave us news that we were expecting another baby. We were incredibly excited about this blessing, but at times, afraid to hope again.

March was a celebration of David's birthday, and a beautiful tribute to the tremendous impact of David Nathaniel's life.

April was a season of Lent and learning to trust again.

May delivered the report that our baby GIRL was healthy and strong! Oh what glorious news!

June was the month that Benjamin celebrated his spiritual birthday, and Tommy and I rejoiced in God's faithfulness.

July was filled with birthdays and summer fun.

August ushered in family vacation and Caleb's first trip to the ocean.

September was the month of Esther's birth. What a glorious gift she has been to our family!

The first day of October was the day that we brought our baby girl home from the hospital and remembered our David Nathaniel.

November was month #2 of LOVING life with our new gift.

December was the month that I officially became a stay-at-home-mommy. What a blessing and a challenge this has been for me.

I pray that 2012 will continue to bring new levels of growth, healing and joy; however, I cannot say goodbye to 2011 without taking a moment to thank each one of you who visit, subscribe, read and comment on my blog. It means more than you know.

And finally, I would like to publicly thank my Heavenly Father for the abundant grace that He has shown to us. I look forward to seeing what the new year holds and what He will do in 2012.

Coming Home

Five weeks ago, we came home from the hospital. As I sat in the wheelchair to leave the hospital and the nurse handed me our baby girl, I was suddenly overcome with grief. Although I was holding a living, breathing baby in my arms, I could not help but remember my experience in that wheelchair just 18 months ago.

This time, we stopped by the front desk to remove our baby's security bracelet...last time, there was no security bracelet to remove because nobody wants to kidnap a dead baby. This time, I got wheeled out the front door...last time, I got wheeled out the back door. This time, the nurse made sure we had a car seat and that our baby was safe and secure for the ride home...last time, we met the undertaker at the back door, and there was no car seat, just a tiny casket.

One never knows when the dam of grief will break, but when it does, there is no use trying to hold it back. So, I cried all the way home from the hospital, and carefully evaded the barrage of cameras upon our arrival home. So much for a happy homecoming.

Later that afternoon, I received an email entitled "David Nathaniel" from a man in India. This man told me that he had a son who had been born just hours after Esther. He explained to me that he had been searching the internet for a Biblical name for his son. While searching, he came across the name "Nathaniel" on a Christian baby name site, and he immediately liked it.

He liked the names "Nathaniel David" and "David Nathaniel" because they sounded "majestic, lovely, and unique," and when he typed the name "David Nathaniel" into Google, he discovered my blog. He closed his email by stating, "If the thought that a baby somewhere in the world is going to be named 'David Nathaniel' gives you any comfort, I hope it does, I will be happy for you."

I was blown away. I could scarcely believe that on that very day, the day that my David Nathaniel would have celebrated his 18-month birthday and the day that we brought our Esther home from the hospital, God had impressed the name "David Nathaniel" upon a man's heart halfway across the globe, and God caused this man to find my blog and contact me.

Amazing love.

In that moment, my sorrow was overcome by God's immeasurable love for me. I was overwhelmed by the thought that my Father God would go to such great lengths to show His love to me, to comfort me, and to let me know that my David Nathaniel had not been forgotten. My God is the Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace, and He is more than just these things by title. He is these things to me. Isaiah 9:6.

"And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power...to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God." Ephesians 3:17-19.

Our Star

It is with great joy and thankful hearts that we announce the birth of our precious daughter, Esther Alicia Watson. Our "star" (the literal meaning of Esther) was born on September 29 at 11:52 a.m., weighing 6 lbs., 10 oz., and measuring 19.5 inches. She is perfect and beautiful in every way, and we are overwhelmed by God's gracious gift to us.

Just moments after her entrance into the world, she is bright-eyed and attentive to her mommy.

Adoring brothers can't keep their eyes off of her ...

and mommy and daddy are absolutely thrilled to bring her home from the hospital.

Is she precious or what?

Invisible Presence

Whenever Caleb sees a picture of an image that resembles God in his mind, he points to it and says, "That's God." Every time this happens, I have to tell him that the picture is not God, and when he proceeds to ask what God looks like, I have the unenviable task of trying to explain to a four-year-old that we cannot see God.

I can relate to Caleb's confusion in this matter, as I have also struggled with God's invisible presence. Most of the time, I am confident of His presence, but I still have questions. Over the past twelve months, I have personally known three different families who were told that their babies would likely be born with serious health problems, and miraculously, all three of them were born healthy.

I am thrilled for these families and encouraged to see the hand of God in their lives. But each and every time, I am left wondering, "Why not me? Why not my baby? Where were you, God?" I have been offered several possible answers to these questions, but in the end, no answer takes away the deep pain of the reality that I am here, and my baby boy is not.

In His grace, God has chosen to bless us with a fourth child, a baby girl. She is not a replacement, but she is a gift, and I am praying that her presence will bring tremendous healing to our family. It is hard to believe that she will be here in just a few short days. Tom and I did not have any trouble choosing a name for her, as we had decided upon a girl name over eight years ago. Her name is Esther.

This pregnancy has been difficult and filled with moments of doubt. "Will this baby be healthy? Will we really get to bring her home from the hospital?" Many have offered me words of comfort and encouragement, but no one can make me any guarantees. My only guarantee is Christ. I must choose to lay down my fear and trust that whatever the outcome, I have a God who has come near to me by the blood of Jesus. “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ” (Eph. 2:13).

I find it intriguing that the only book in the Bible from which the name of God is missing is the book of Esther. As John Piper put it, "The absence of God's name in the book of Esther means: God is invisibly present and ruling in your life, as in this story."

The gift of Esther is a beautiful reminder of how God is weaving together His story in our lives through His "invisible presence."

Great is Thy Faithfulness

Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father,
There is no shadow of turning with Thee;
Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not
As Thou hast been Thou forever wilt be.

This is the only hymn that I wanted to sing at David's funeral. While there were plenty of other hymns to choose from, no other song seemed appropriate. I did not feel "Amazing Grace" or that it was "Well with my Soul." I could, however, say with confidence that God is faithful yesterday, today, and tomorrow.

And He has been faithful.

Over the past 15 months, He has continued to display His great faithfulness to our family. Although there are more ways that I can recount, I would like to share just one, which involves the story that He is writing in our son Benjamin's life.

In January 2010, Tom and I began to believe God for a miracle in David's life, and we both felt lead to involve our children in asking God to do the impossible. We did not go into this blindly. We knew that God might not choose to heal David, and we knew that this could potentially have a devastating effect on the fragile faith of our children. We also knew that we had to obey, and the results were in God's hands.

So, we prayed. Again and again, our family went before God Almighty in prayer, and we begged Him to heal our son and brother. We went before the elders of our church, and they prayed over us and anointed us with oil in the name of the Lord (James 5). And on that day, our pastor read from Daniel 3.

And Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego said to King Nebuchadnezzar, "If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up."

And shortly thereafter, the time came for us to lay our "Isaac" at the altar of God. We did not know what the outcome would be, but we knew that the Lord would provide (Genesis 22:14). And He did provide, just not in the way we expected Him to.

In March of this year, the one-year anniversary of David's birth and death, our church gave us a children's Bible for the boys. We already had one, but for some reason this Bible was special. Benjamin brought it home and read it from cover to cover in two weeks. Then, he read it again ... four more times. And when asked to recount his very favorite story, he told the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in Daniel 3.

Amazing.

On his own initiative, Benjamin has continued to read the Bible almost every night. A couple of weeks ago, Tom read Benjamin the story of Abraham and Isaac in Genesis 22, and Benjamin asked how Abraham heard God speak to him. Tom explained that God gives His Holy Spirit to His children, and God speaks to His children through His Spirit. Benjamin told Tom that he wanted to become a child of God. And on that very night, Benjamin confessed his sin to God and professed his faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ. Benjamin was born again (John 3).

I do not think that it is a coincidence that Benjamin's favorite Bible story is in Daniel 3, nor do I think that it is mere chance that Benjamin was born into the family of God after hearing the story in Genesis 22. I am convinced that God used our prayers offered in faith for David's healing to begin a miraculous work of faith in Benjamin's life.

God works in mysterious ways. His ways are not our ways, but He is good, and He knows what He is doing. In the darkest days of life, and even in death, He is planting seeds that will spring forth new life, and the life that He gives can never be taken away.

Great is His faithfulness.

The Big Reveal

We are rejoicing today after a wonderful report from our 20-week ultrasound. Baby #4 looked healthy in every way, and all of the measurements were right on track with my due date. We are so grateful for this gift from God!

And ... much to our surprise after having 3 boys in a row ... we could hardly believe it when the ultrasound tech said ...


We decided to share the news with our boys by ordering a very special cake. We asked the bakery to ice the inside of the cake "blue for boy" or "pink for girl." The boys enjoyed cutting into the cake to discover the color inside.

Benjamin did not seem too surprised to find pink icing inside the cake. He said that he thought it was a girl. Caleb, on the other hand, was (and still is) convinced that the baby is a boy. Even though we told him several times last night that the baby is a girl, he still says that "bay-bay" is a boy, not a "grill."

Hmmm .... this should be interesting. Since Caleb is not too fond of "grills," this news of a sister is going to take a while for him to absorb. But that's ok. I'm sure that he will adjust, sooner or later. :-)

We are so thrilled that God has chosen to bless us with a fourth child ... and our very first baby girl!

A New Resident

Remember this picture?

I still have it saved as the background on my desktop. It is worth more to me than the world's most coveted painting.

Well, Tom and I are delighted to announce that a new resident has moved into the house. We are expecting our fourth child this October 5, and we are absolutely thrilled!

This pregnancy has been a difficult journey from the start, and there are days when I am filled with apprehension over all of the "what ifs." I am truly walking this out one day at a time, thanking God for every kick and wiggle along the way.

And I am learning to trust God a little more each day.

Please be in prayer for our family as we approach the 20-week ultrasound next week. This is a big milestone for us, as it is the appointment where we were told the devastating news about David's prognosis.

Thank you for your faithful prayers! Will keep you posted ...

Lent

Today is Good Friday. A day of death. It is the day that "darkness came over all the land," a representation of what this season of Lent has felt like to me.

I intended to observe Lent this year by giving up my quest for interior redesign. But, when I woke up on Ash Wednesday, I began to learn that God had plans for me to give up something much bigger than dreams of a home makeover. On the morning of March 9, as I was doing my daily Bible reading, I came upon the story of Elisha and the Shunammite woman in II Kings 4:8-36. The Shunammite woman had no son.

“About this time next year,” Elisha said, “you will hold a son in your
arms.”

“No, my lord!” she objected. “Please, man of God, don’t mislead your servant!” But the woman became pregnant, and the next year about that same time she gave birth to a son, just as Elisha had told her.

Several years later, the boy died in his mother's arms. She immediately lay the boy down and called to her husband saying, “Please send me one of the servants and a donkey so I can go to the man of God quickly and return.”

So she set out and came to the man of God at Mount Carmel. When she reached the man of God at the mountain, she took hold of his feet. Gehazi came over to push her away, but the man of God said, “Leave her alone! She is in bitter distress, but the LORD has hidden it from me and has not told me why.”

“Did I ask you for a son, my lord?” she said. “Didn’t I tell you, ‘Don’t raise my hopes’?”

So, Elisha followed the woman to her house, and he raised her dead son to life by the power of God.

Well, that sounded like a strangely familiar story, except for the part about the dead son being raised to life. I cannot tell you how many times I have said to God, “Did I ask you for a son, my Lord? Why would you grant me a child for whom I never asked, only to let him die in my arms?”

Later that Wednesday, a friend told me that she had recently heard a devotional that reminded her of me. I bet you can't guess what it was about.

Yep, you guessed it! Elisha and the Shunammite woman. This season of Lent was beginning much differently than I had planned. God was trying to get my attention in a big way.

So, what was I to make of all of this? Was I the Shunammite woman? If so, what exactly did God want from me? He had already taken David. What more did He want?

I began to feel like the rich man who came to Jesus asking, "What good thing must I do to obtain eternal life?” It was as if Jesus himself was looking right at me and saying, "If you wish to be complete, [give your children to me], and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." And I was full of grief because I did not think that I could give Jesus what He was asking me to give. Matthew 19:16-22.

You see, for me, it was not really my material possessions that I was idolizing, but my children. And who, but God himself, was going to chastise me for idolizing my children? Probably no one.

I began to realize that I had become a hoarder of blessings, namely my boys. I had been holding on to my children with fists clenched tight, begging God not to take them from me. Just like the Shunammite woman, I had been crying out to God, “No, my Lord! Please don’t disappoint me!”

I was believing a lie.

I had been telling myself that I could not have joy if God ever chose to take these blessings from me. I did not believe that every river that needed to flow for the joy of my soul would flow from Jesus. I did not trust that I would never, ever have to look anywhere else because His rivers are as many as the soul needs that I have. ~John Piper

And so, this Easter, my fists are beginning to open. With God's help, I am opening my hands to release my will to receive His. I am learning to trust that the water He has given will never dry up, for He is the source of endless streams.

And the LORD will guide you continually and satisfy your desire in scorched places and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.
Isaiah 58:11

"If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, 'Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.'"
John 7:37–38

Final LIFE Day Recap

David’s first birthday was filled with mixed emotions for us. We were thankful for the opportunity to celebrate his life in an eternal way by “setting our minds on things above;” yet we were sad to think of all of the memories that we never had the chance to make with him here on earth.

During the day, I thought a lot about Benjamin and Caleb’s first birthdays. I remembered how Benjamin cried when he dug his hands into his first birthday cake because he did not like the icing all over his hands. Caleb, on the other hand, dug into his cake with heart and soul. We have the cutest pictures of him with icing all over his body. For some reason, the thought of David making a mess of his birthday cake really hit me hard, and I missed him deeply.


We received the sweetest card from a dear friend. It is the same friend who wrote to us 17 months ago, "I have been lifting you and your son before the Throne of our Almighty God and Father. He is truly the Father of all compassion and also the worker of miracles. As I prayed for your precious son according to Psalm 139, I sensed Him telling me to pray for him 'by name'."

Providentially, the card she sent for David's 1st birthday said, “As I turned my calendar from February to March this morning, on March 1, it was written ‘St. David’s Day.’ I smiled at the sovereignty of God.” God never ceases to amaze me with His involvement in the smallest details of our lives.

Tom and I have been incredibly blessed by the outpouring of love from so many of you who remembered David with us on his birthday. We continue receive messages from people who joined us in honoring David’s LIFE, and we have loved reading each and every story. For this recap, we would like to share some of the things that our family did to remember David on his first birthday.

Compassionate Hearts
Our family supports Vijiji Projects (a children’s home in Kenya) on a regular basis, but we wanted to go beyond our regular giving to meet an urgent need. The home has 30 children and 2 bathrooms, one of which is an outhouse that is in need of cleaning out. Who would have thought that cleaning a toilet in David’s honor could make such a difference?


In addition to helping Vijiji, Tom was able to help a friend who is going through a difficult time with a bathroom project. Also, Benjamin and Caleb made cards for their great-grandparents.


Patience
I tend to have a difficult time during the day just spending uninterrupted time with my family. It seems that a "to-do" list is forever forming in my mind with things that need to be done around the house, at work, etc. To honor David, my lists were suspended, and my family received the uninterrupted time they deserved.

Bearing with one another
There is a baby boy named Asa who who visited this earth for a short time at the beginning of last year, and he is buried very close to David. In memory of David and Asa, we took dinner to Asa's family, and Benjamin and Caleb picked out a birthday present for his twin brother Luke who recently celebrated his first birthday.


A Couple of Other Things
We sent cards to a some families who also lost babies, and we mailed a gift card to pay for dinner for neighbor of a friend who has been experiencing seizures and has four young children.

LIFE Day Recap - Part #2

Rachel & Beth
In memory of David's LIFE, last week we, along with our kids, made cookies for an elderly neighbor who lost her husband a few months ago. We are so honored to take part in his special day and hope you find comfort knowing his LIFE continues to be a blessing...


Kevin & Dana's Family
Each of us wrote letters to someone who had impacted us eternally and encouraged us in Jesus. In each letter, we asked the person to write a letter to someone else in return. Parker wrote a letter to his teacher. Micah wrote a letter to his grandma, and Coley wrote her letter to a long time family friend.

My letter was to a woman named Judy, who used to be the director of a crisis pregnancy center. When I was in college, my teenage sister became pregnant. I went to the center for counseling myself. I later went through training to counsel women with crisis pregnancies. Also during college, a close friend of mine was pressured by her mother to have an abortion. I was so burdened by this, and again the ladies at the center ministered to ME. I have continued to support and stay in contact with Judy and the center. She retired this year. I am sure that countless children have been saved by her ministry and many have come to faith in Christ. It was through this center that my view of the sanctity of life was shaped as a very new believer. Judy has made an eternal impact on me and countless men, women, and children.



Katie
Even before doing anything about it, it completely touched me to think of you guys being open to God redeeming David's life and death in this way. Just thinking of this made a big difference in my perspective on a lot of little things that day - my attitude when something annoying happened, etc. It really encouraged me and challenged me to choose a better attitude, with more patience.

But I also felt drawn to participate in LIFE Day in a more proactive way, although it kind of made me nervous to step outside my comfort zone and reach out like that. We visited a friend from church who has MS. We had actually been planning to visit her anyway, but in light of LIFE Day, when we were together I asked her more about her struggles with the MS - something I had never done before. She's suffered from it for many years, and has never talked much about it, although I know she experiences a lot of pain and fatigue, and that it severely limits her. Asking her about it allowed me to hear more about what her life is like with MS, and although it was hard to hear in some ways, it felt good to know her more fully, if that makes sense. It was a wonderful afternoon.


Debbie & Mike's Family
We have a friend - single mom - who runs a horseback riding farm all by herself. She needed help doing some work on her house - so we took the kids and ripped up old carpeting, threw away a TON of stuff, cleaned and scrubbed, vacuumed and repaired stuff. It was awesome - thought of you guys the whole time, made the kids work hard - ha! Great experience to do together as a family, and I'm so glad you thought of it.

Tonya
In honor of David's LIFE day, I spoke with the chaplain at Gwinnett Medical Center, the hospital where David was born. I ordered a copy of Angie Smith's "I Will Carry You." The chaplain said that she will hold onto the book until a family with a baby that has a terminal diagnosis comes along, and she will present the book to them. I plan to write in the front cover that the book is given in honor and remembrance of David. I know this book touched your heart, and I pray it will touch someone else, too. Love you! Thank you for the opportunity and honor to be part of this. I will ALWAYS remember precious David Nathaniel.

Carrie
In honor of your beautiful baby boy and your amazing family....I sent out a few anonymous cards to some co-workers who I knew would need some sunshine today!! Praying that your day will be filled with sunshine from the legacy that David is already leaving on all of us!! :) Much love to you guys!!

Christina
I celebrated David's birthday by making marbled banana bread and giving it to all of the preschool teachers at my son's school with a note of love and scripture. Thanks for letting us be a part of his heaven day :)!

Julie
My LIFE promise is to remember to be patient and kind with my earthly children. It's harder than I ever imagined, but when I think 3 is crazy, I close my eyes and think of sweet David.

K & M
We visited David’s grave and prayed for all of the families who had buried babies in that cemetery.

Jen
Happy first Birthday to David. I'm excited about this idea and have loved seeing how God brought things together to celebrate it. In honor of his LIFE, I'm partnering with a friend's non-profit organization to expand the ministry to support and care for pregnant mothers in crisis situations, who have decided to give their babies up for adoption. For more information, go to Sally's Lambs. More info to come as we brainstorm other ways to bring people together to show God's love to these women. Love you Rachael. Thanks for spurring this on!

Amy & Chris
Chris took the opportunity to help a young man at the gas station who needed air in his tires and had arm/hand wrapped and bandaged from a deep cut to the hand. After speaking with him for a few short minutes, he went on to share why he seeks opportunities to show kindness--because of Jesus' ultimate kindness toward us.

I was busy working a consignment sale all week and after getting the bad phone call about Chris' aunt, another volunteer asked if I was okay. I shared with her a brief synopsis of his Aunt's condition and how this heart disease is all throughout Chris' family, but we were so thankful to see the hand of God in it. Chris was the first in the family to be diagnosed, and if it weren't for the free heart scans given to high school athletes, he could be dead. I went on to share a bit of Chris' testimony with her. She ended up sharing with me that her son and daughter have had arrythmias and have been undergoing some testing. She seemed discouraged and a bit fearful about it all. I simply shared with her that we have hope because of Jesus. I don't know where she is in terms of faith but she appreciated my story, and I was glad I took the opportunity to share. Thanks for this challenge! We love you!

NCF Prayer Team
We collected financial resources to help youth in Mkholombe, South Africa. This squatter camp is 90% AIDS positive and the youth see no hope. The poverty level in Mkholombe is unbelievable with only three water spigots for over 10,000 people and no electricity. It is our joy to share with these youth the love of Jesus and the hope he brings.

LIFE Day Recap - Part #1

Tom and I have been incredibly blessed by so many who celebrated David's birthday with us. Thank you, thank you, thank you for your participation! Over the next week, we will be posting our family's celebration of David's birthday, along with all of the things that each of you did in honor of David's life. I hope that all of you are as blessed as we have been by reading these stories.

Aunt Jenny & Harrison
Harrison and I had an awesome time bringing a smile to the many faces at Noble Village today! Harrison passed out chocolate candies and the people loved having a little guy around. This is something we will do again! It was so wonderful to bring a little joy to their day!



Laura & Ron
We have donated to an orphan scholarship fund in Kazakhstan in remembrance of David. In addition, we have written to missionaries in Kazakhstan to share your LIFE story and to encourage them in their mission work. This family (Doug & Shelley) was unable to bring a baby to full term, but have adopted and are fostering children from Kazakhstan as well as working in children’s school for poor children in Kazakhstan. I hope that through David's life they are blessed. Thanks for making the challenge to your friends. It was so worthwhile. Attached Doug & Shelley’s picture in Kazakhstan.


Mimi & Papa
In honor of David’s first LIFE celebration we are dedicating the weekend of February 18 through 20 to service. On February 18 we visited the Assisted Living Facility at Vienna Square in Winter Haven, FL, visiting and encouraging the residents. On February 19 we attended the annual Park Ministries Rally in honor of Dr. Melvin Maxwell. We helped prepare for the rally, helped during the rally and then after the rally. Park Ministries ministers to retired individuals living in 50 mobile parks in and around central Florida. The service was wonderful and emphasized Dr. Melvin Maxwell, the founder of Park Ministries by honoring him during the ceremonies. Dr. Maxwell is also the great grandfather of David Nathaniel Watson. What a great and fulfilling privilege it is to serve others and to have David Nathaniel Watson on this earth to hold and love for seven hours. We love you and miss you David but we will reunite with you in heaven someday soon.



Rachel & Terry
We decided to support some missionary friends in Japan for a year in honor of David’s little life. We have been talking about it for months, and his birthday spurred us on to jump on it and do it!!

Anonymous
I was a the grocery store and was approached by a man who was wanting money. He said he wanted it for groceries. Instead of telling him no and walking away like I usually do, I decided to take him in the store and pay for his food. He smelled strongly of alcohol, and I am sure he would have purchased more if I would have just given him money. Anyway, even after the shopping trip he pleaded for cash to use for the bus, and then he pleaded for a ride since he had so much to carry on his bike. I had to refuse both of those request, and for me more than helping him buy food....what I think was done that was more for God's glory was that I bent and served God by serving a man that normally I would say did not need or deserve what he was asking for. I believe God equipped me to be tender where I needed to be and firm where I knew I had to be. All credit to Him. The man's name is Albert. Please pray for his salvation.

Sheri's Family
I just wanted to let you know what an amazing day we had yesterday in honor of David's birthday. God worked it out so that all 4 of us were able to go to the "Oaks" on Post Road and visit w/a 94 year old gentleman whom we had never met before. We went late afternoon and visited with him for quite awhile and the comments afterward from our children were great. We are all planning to go back in a few weeks and help him celebrate his birthday. His name is Clarence and he is a native of Atlanta but his family is scattered and he never has any visitors. God truly blessed US yesterday and I hope He blessed you all as well with something truly special.

Michele
In church Sunday it came to me what I would like to do to honor David's memory. I am going use the letters in my niece's name, along with Sylvia Gunter's, ABC's of Who You Are in Christ, to send weekly encouragements to her. I sent the first one yesterday, M is for Masterpiece. I pray she will come to know herself and her all Loving Father through the personal promises and truths written in His Word.

Mike & Pat
It is hard to believe that a year has gone by since God allowed David to bless and continue to bless so many lives in a very short time. In honor of David's life and the life of another very special baby, we decided to donate money to help others in need.

Barb
I was so thrilled to read about your idea to honor David. I then thought, how in the world do I have time to do something even though my heart wanted to. My days are filled in caring for my mother and father right now. Then I remembered that I was having a birthday party for my mother's friend of 50 years who was turning 98 years old today. It was not a big party, just a time to get together and honor her many years and her many years of loving the Lord. So, I thought, this could be a way to honor David. God knows our days and for reasons we may never know his days for David were short and the days for Margaret are very long. But they both bring honor and glory to the Lord. It isn't much, but I just didn't want this time to slip away from me without communicating to you how much we still care and love you. I am so sorry for the pain you have had to bear but we all know that it is all for his Glory.

LIFE - Leave an Impact For Eternity

This past Monday, we announced our plan for celebrating David’s 1st birthday, and we asked you to join us in remembering David’s life by giving LIFE to others. Since this is somewhat of an abstract idea, we thought it might be helpful to offer some suggestions on how you can participate.

Colossians 3:12-14 seems like a worthy guide. “Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.”

When we, as believers, “put on” this type of life, we are inviting the world around us to live a new way, an eternal way. The invitation is not to embrace a new ethic but to embrace Jesus that offers this new life (Col 3:1). So, in celebration of David’s 1st Annual LIFE Day, our goal is to “put on” this kingdom of God mindset so that we might leave an eternal impact.

Compassionate hearts - Visit with those in your community who are often overlooked (widow, elderly, sick children, single moms) and perform an act of love that shows the compassionate heart of Christ. Or make a donation to an organization that supports those who are underprivileged.

Kindness - Do something kind for someone from whom you do not expect to receive anything in return. This is especially effective when you show love to someone who is different from you (politically, ethnically, socio-economically).

Humility - We all have people in our lives that we struggle with in some way to show that we are better than or superior to in ability, intellect, etc. Go to this person and serve him or her. Lay down your competitive drive and give this person a compliment or ask him or her to teach you something.

Meekness - Provide a gentle response when an angry one could easily be justified. In the workplace or at home, when another person provokes you to anger, respond in love. When a required task is met with resistance by others, pause, breathe, and handle the situation with meekness.

Patience - Sit with someone longer than you normally would. Turn off your phone, set aside the task list, and just sit with a friend or family member without thinking of the next step.

Bearing with one another – Call or write someone who has been suffering and pray for them in the form of verbal or written communication (don’t just say you are going to pray for them). Especially remember those who suffered some sort of pain 6+ months ago because many of them have been forgotten by the majority...be the minority.

Forgiving each other - Do you know how much you have been given forgiven? Set down your pride and choose to forgive someone who has wronged you or hurt you. Let go of your anger and decide that that person does not “owe” you anymore.

If you have already thought of something that is completely different from this list, then that is great too! Or if you have some creative ideas on how to celebrate David’s birthday, we encourage you to share them with all of us by leaving a comment on this post. We look forward to celebrating with each of you as we endeavor to Leave an Impact For Eternity.