It's a Girl!

Acts 2:17 In the last days,' God says, 'I will pour out my Spirit upon all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your young men will see visions, and your old men will dream dreams.

One of my closest friends Tracy was sitting on my couch for several hours as we talked, when finally she said, "There's something I have to tell you while we are together. I want you to hear it from me, face to face." I could tell by the look on her face she was bracing for my reaction. She looked at me and said, "Katlyn is pregnant." Katlyn is Tracy's daughter, who in my mind will always be a teenager, when in reality she's twenty one.  

I knew all too well the fears and feelings she was going through. A surprise pregnancy can take you on a roller coaster of emotions. I remembered how I felt when I told people I was pregnant and feared their response. Most of all I remember my favorite response, "Congratulations!" Now you may think this sounds like a typical response but sometimes life is not on a path where you are prepared for an unexpected blessing. You can sit in your fears of the what-if's and the 'but I wasn't ready.' In a fast forward train of thought I remembered, the biggest surprises are also the biggest blessings. So I looked at Tracy with joy and excitement and said "Congratulations!!!" She looked surprised, then smiled. I remembered that feeling too. 

As we sat there and she began going into further conversation, I started having visions, quick flashes of her holding a baby girl with dark curly hair. The first vision, she was holding her above her head, looking at her and laughing with her. The second, she was holding her on the couch and fixing her pink, frilly little girl outfit, beaming with pride over her little granddaughter. Then they stopped. I looked at Tracy and told her it was a little girl and that God had shown me her holding a girl. 

Several weeks went by before Katlyn had her ultrasound that would let her know the gender. Katlyn decided she didn't want to know the baby's gender until the reveal party. They sealed the results in an envelope and gave it to one trusted friend who would prepare the gender reveal. No one knew; not Katlyn, Tracy or anyone other than the doctors and one close friend.

As I arrived at the party Katlyn greeted me with a big hug. I pulled her aside for a few photos of her by herself. I asked if she had a guess on what the baby's sex was. She told me, "Everyone is saying it's a boy, literally everyone. Rigo's family and friends all say boy. Even a stranger came up to me in a store and told me I was having a boy." Her tone was a little off so I could tell she was hoping for a girl, so I took a leap of faith, secretly begging God... 'God please don't let me down. Please let what you showed me be of you and not my imagination as I step out in utter and complete faith in you and you alone.' I looked at her with a confidence that was unbreakable and told her it was a girl. I told her God showed me it was a girl. That I had visions of a baby girl as her mom told me she was pregnant. She asked with a hopeful tone, "Really?" I said yes. Then she told me, "I had this dream it was a girl. In my dream..."  At this moment I let out a huge sigh of relief. I knew God had come to her in her dreams and revealed to her what was coming. I also knew that if He had given me a vision and her a dream, it was confirmation. Then a joy came over me, not because of the accuracy of the vision or the confirmation but because I knew God was speaking to Katlyn. How beautiful to my heart to hear and know that someone you care about is hearing from God. I wanted to break down and cry right there but I didn't. I know God began a great work in Katlyn before she was even born. I know she is on a journey as she grows in her relationship with God and it gives me remarkable joy.

We are all at a different place in our journey through life and in our relationship with Christ. It is my hearts desire to support Katlyn in both. The blessing of this new baby girl has been abundant even before her first breath. Life has already been breathed into her when God created her. Baby girl, thank you for changing so many lives and bringing such joy. You have a loving, supportive family and friends who can't wait to see your Grandma Tracy smile and laugh with you. 

Driving home from the party that night, the sky was so many shades of pink. It was gorgeous and I wish I had gotten a photo. Instead, I prayed and thanked God for showing me the vision of this baby girl. I was overcome with emotion. When He keeps the little promises, it assures me He will keep the big ones too.