For This Child I Prayed

It is hard to believe it has been forty years since the day I first became a mother.  Back in those days, we didn't have ultrasounds to determine whether it was a boy or a girl on the way, so it wasn't until 4:52am on the morning of January 17, 1979 that my husband and I learned we had a daughter for our first born.

Secretly, I had hoped for a girl.  This would be my only living grandmother's first great grandchild, and I so wanted to use her name as our child's middle name.  God was gracious in satisfying this longing in my heart, and Rebekah Ellen entered the world at the same time as a host of lessons to be learned, both by parent and child.

Looking back over the stages of her life, there have been many opportunities to pray.  Sometimes it has been a mother's prayer for her child, but there have also been an equal number of times daughter has prayed for mother.  What a blessing to know, from the beginning, we relied on God for the wisdom to navigate both smooth and choppy waters.

Today, as I look at her life. . .a beautiful wife, a loving mother, a willing servant of our Lord. . .I am thankful for all the lessons she has taught me over the years.  Just last week I was blessed to be a part of the group of 180 women who heard her speak at a ladies event in her hometown of Williston, ND.  Her message to us was the importance of reading God's Word.

The great grandmother for whom she is named lived to be 100.  For her 100th birthday she was interviewed by our local paper, and was asked what advice she would give from her life's experiences.  Her answer was, "Read the Word, and stick to it!"  I do think she is smiling down on her little namesake for not only taking the advice, but also passing it on to others.

Now this dear child for which I have prayed is busy with four children of her own.  Here she is with her own daughter shortly after sharing with the ladies last week.  "Happy Birthday, Dear Rebekah!  You have blessed me beyond what one could imagine!  Keep smiling, keep loving, and keep reading God's Word. . .it will see us through whatever is ahead on this road we call life.  Love you so much!"❤️