a full circle moment

These pictures carry so much meaning to me, They are taken a year apart and while I hate the pain and suffering it took to get from one picture to the other for someone I hold dear, they are a sweet reminder of enduring hope and a journey of faith that has inspired me and been important on my own spiritual walk. 

The first picture was a girls night out with two very dear friends - friends you do life, friends that have known you through different seasons, that lift you in prayer in a way only they can because they know your inner struggles and the desires of your heart. Friends where warm and deep conversation fills you up regularly and laughter is also just as soul filling and easily visited. I am deeply grateful for God's provisions for relationships like this in my life, I have several in my village and it's certainly something I treasure greatly. 

On this particular night we were having a soul to soul life state of the union chat and we spoke of loss of babies and children and the openness and desire of my friend for a forever child in whatever way God saw best to provide - fostering, adoption or biological. My friend has such an open and enduring faith for God's plan for their family that I have been inspired by, yet time and again they were hit with loss after loss on all fronts and it was so hard to understand why this painful journey just kept continuing and the waiting and the continued losses were getting so very hard and exhausting.

So many many many prayers I know went up through that season and journey from many. On this night I prayed one of the boldest prayers I ever prayed. I get a little too cerebral in my prayer life - I know God has the full picture and I don't, so often I don't know what outcome to pray for, certainly not time tables and often my prayers are swirling of I don't know what to pray, please bring strength, comfort and surrender to your will - whatever it may be. But I know there is scriptural examples for bold and specific prayers and this night I prayed a more fervent prayer than I had prayed in a long time - please let the wait be over, please by this time next year let my friend's forever child be in her arms in whatever way is best for that to be fulfilled. 

Fast Forward a year to the picture below - notice those tiny toes! My friend found out she was pregnant the same fall. The pregnancy wasn't an easy one and an earlier than expected delivery that also made for some continued challenges but she is here and beautiful and this moment was such a special full circle moment. My friend's mother heart will always carry all her children with her the ones that came before and of course this little one. I don't understand all the ways God works, why some prayers are answered in certain ways and others are answered in other ways. I know that's part of the mystery, struggle and wonder of faith but when I look back at August of 2015 I don't want to forget the power of this moment or the meaning it holds. Certainly there is truth that everything has season, that there is a time to mourn and a time to dance -and this moment is certainly a time to celebrate what the Lord has done.