Welcome Baby Ches !

We had a wonderful day yesterday listening to Brent
share his pictures and stories with us of his
experiences in Iraq. I still couldn't believe that he was
home. I was still in awe at how God had answered my
prayers so completely for his safe return. We went to
the base exchange and walked around with Brent,
Sabrina and Lincoln. Holly and the boys joined us and
we all had a family dinner at a Chinese Buffet. Brent
was enjoying each American meal he had. Sabrina
(who is 8 months pregnant said that her back was
hurting). I said it looks like maybe the baby is trying to
get in position. With a month still to go, I hoped the
back pains would continue on for long.
After dinner Brent was so tired he could barely see
straight. (He had pretty much been awake since they
left Kuwait several days earlier). They headed home
and we headed back to our hotel room to all get a
good night's sleep.
At 2:15 am the phone rang. It was Brent telling us
that Sabrina's water had broken and they were
headed to the hospital. I couldn't believe what I was
hearing! I said to Carl "Wouldn't it be wonderful if we
were here when Ches was born?"
When we got to the hospital Sabrina was in active
labor and about an hour and a half later I heard a
sound that fills a heart like no other sound can do. The sound
of my newest grandchild's first cry.
Ches Alan came into the world at 6lbs 2 oz 18 inches
long with a loud lusty cry.
As soon as I heard his cry I knew that this well
orchestrated plan could only have been conducted by
God. If left to chance, what would the chances have
been for us to be up there for this birth? We had
planned to leave just a few hours later. Certainly God
made it all possible for us to be there.
As I sat in the nursery and held this new life for the
first time I was overwhelmed with gratitude once
again. I looked into the eyes of this tiny baby and saw
God's deep and abiding love.
For the first time ever, it didn't matter that I was
losing all my hair, that I was fighting an aggressive cancer, that I would undergo chemotherapy for year or face radiation and surgery.
All of these worries were extinguished as I saw God's
light through the eyes of this new baby.
This is the light that sustains us through the hard times. It is my prayer that I can let His light shine before men so that all will know from whence my joy comes.