Rainbows

Rainbows are used to represent many things these days, but I have always associated rainbows with renewal and the promises of God.  Shortly after we lost Isiaiah, we were visiting at a friend's house and got to see this beautiful rainbow.  It felt like such a gift to see a wonderful reminder of God's promises amidst the storm that we were experiencing.  

As I met more people in the baby loss community, I often heard them speak of their rainbow babies and discovered that a rainbow baby referred to a baby that is born following the loss of an older child.  The sentiment brought tears to my eyes.

"The beauty of a rainbow does not negate the ravages of the storm.  When a rainbow appears, it doesn't mean the storm never happened or that the family is not still dealing with its aftermath.  What it means is that something beautiful and full of light has appeared in the midst of the darkness and cloud..." 

God has guided us each step of the way as we have navigated our loss of Isaiah.  Sometimes it is difficult to share about joy amidst sadness because it seems like both cannot coexist in the same breath...but we have realized that they can.  

We are excited to share with you that we are expecting our rainbow baby - a gift from the Lord - due on March 31, 2013...Easter Sunday.  

Though our feelings can be deep and complicated at times, we are overjoyed by this gift of life.  The timing of the due date is both beautiful and hard all at once (with Isaiah's birthdate just a few days later - April 2).  We are choosing to allow those feelings to intermingle as we continue to heal - but overall we are just so grateful.

Life is a gift - and we have Isaiah (and the Lord) to thank for helping us realize that we need to cherish it always.  Even though we still miss Isaiah...because we still miss Isaiah - we truly cherish this new life.  This baby is alive right now - and we celebrate that fact today.

Please pray with us for the health and protection of our baby - and with faith and hope we will trust the Lord and his plans.  Please pray that this pregnancy can be filled with peace -  and that God can simultaneously mold our grieving and joyfully anticipatory hearts into something that will honor Him, our new child, and our memory of Isaiah.   

Thank you for praying and celebrating with us!