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Visible Reminders of God's Love

Every stage that you are in, God has given you a gift of grace—a visible reminder of His love in your life. Keep your eyes open to find out what that is. Once you’ve found it, never let it go.


May 2012


This year, I’m honored to have my second first Mother’s Day—and no, that’s not a typo. Last year, I didn’t have a child in my arms, but I celebrated the life of my firstborn son, Brody Mark, who was born prematurely at 21 weeks due to an incompetent cervix. After an hour in my arms, he went home to meet Jesus (lucky boy!).

It was a bittersweet day.

Little did I know, on that same Mother’s Day, I was pregnant with my second boy, Brayden Allen, who is squirming in my arms as I type this letter with one hand.

So on May 13, 2012, I get to celebrate Mother’s Day all over again, this time holding a treasure in my arms and not just in my heart.


Laura and her husband Erik, holding Brayden

My Visible Miracle
Every time I look at Brayden, I thank God for the miracle he represents. My body showed signs of again not being able to hold a baby in until 40 weeks, so the only way I was going to have any hope of a healthy, full-term baby was through a preventive surgery.

The catch was that surgery would be during week 12 of my pregnancy and followed by months of not being able to put pressure on the stitch that held Brayden in place. Not only was the surgery a delicate procedure, but afterwards I couldn't lift anything, walk far, vacuum, do much at all... a.k.a., I was stuck on bedrest.

Those months were hard. I felt helpless. People reminded me that I was doing the most important job of all—letting Brayden grow inside me—but that never eliminated the innate need to do something.

Although I believed everything would be okay, flashbacks of my first pregnancy came and went. I couldn’t let myself imagine the day I’d hold a baby in my arms. I knew that all I could do was take one day at a time and let God take care of the rest.

Now that Brayden has been here four months, I'm amazed

I have two beautiful boys. Brody is in heaven, having the time of his life. He has impacted and blessed our family in a unique way, and will always be our firstborn.



Brayden is our visible, tangible miracle. After a year and a half of waiting to hold a baby, Brayden reminds me every day that God loves me, has blessed me, and is always taking care of my family, no matter how long or difficult the journey may seem.

What Reminds You?
Perhaps you took the conventional road to parenting without any pit stops on the way. Perhaps you’re not yet at the parenting stage: you haven’t had the opportunity, aren’t interested in having kids, or you’re trying to make that happen right now. Whatever the case, whether it’s your kids or something else in your life, God has given you a visible reminder of His love.

For me, it’s Brayden. Prior to Brayden, it was (and still is) my puppy, Tucker. Before that, it was (and still is) my husband, Erik. Before that, it was my single life and (still is) my family.

Every stage that you are in, God has given you a gift of grace, a visible reminder of His love in your life. Keep your eyes open to find out what that is. Once you’ve found it, never let it go.

When Brayden is bawling, it’s easy to forget that he’s my picture of grace. When my husband and I disagree, I don’t always think, “He’s my gift from God.” And when I’m standing outside in freezing cold weather waiting for my dog to do his business, my love for Tucker might be slightly conditional.

In those times of questioning, I’ve found that listening to other people’s stories is helpful. I happen to see an encouraging status update on Facebook or find exactly the right word for me on Twitter or talk to a friend and hear what she has to say.

God has created this unique network of believers—the body of Christ—so we can learn from each other. One of the ways this happens is through cfaith. People can log on from around the world and be reminded of God’s love.

Thank You
You, our partners, make this place of encouragement, admonishment, and advice possible... so thanks. You have no idea how your support of this ministry impacts people around the world. Every month, we hear from people who have found encouragement and hope from the content (you help make) available for free on the cfaith website.

Because of you, people can log on and take advantage of thousands of different articles, devotionals, and multimedia teachings, and find out exactly what God desires to tell them in their daily walk of faith.

As you go about these next few weeks, I encourage you to look for visible reminders of God at work. It may be a person. It may be a material thing. It may be an article on cfaith. Whatever it is, I guarantee God is always working to remind you of His love.

Like I said...find it and never let go!

Blessings to you,

Laura Wegener
editior, contributing writer
cfaith


P.S. Remember to take time to express your love and appreciation for one of the greatest reminders of His love that God has given you...your mom! If possible, call or visit her today.