Creating A Place

Back in February of 2020, finding a place to call home felt like a pipe dream, especially after I miscarried our little baby. With broken hearts and shattered dreams, we were tempted to quit altogether and just remain, but as my husband reminded me, “There is no future remaining in your past.” We found the courage to press on and allowed the Lord to mend our hearts, who better than the Great Physician.

With boxes collecting in every room, our new house looked more like a storage unit than a home. I desperately needed to find some organization. I resolved to designate one room in the house to be the “catch-all” room while I organized each room, one by one.

Without giving much thought to it, the same room that was collecting all the leftover boxes was also the room I had picked for the baby’s room. I still dreamed of having another baby in the future, but I quickly brushed my passing thoughts away, thinking only of what was in front of me. Boxes.

A few months passed by, and I was steadily making a house a home, but still, I had not cleared out the left-over boxes in the empty spare room. It seemed so daunting. I knew it was just odds and ends left. Then one Sunday morning, all that changed. Standing in church, singing with my hands raised, thanking the Lord for all the good things He had done for us, I heard that ever-familiar voice whisper to my heart and say, “Create a place for the baby. You have boxes where a crib should be.” I pondered over this for the remainder of the afternoon and then shared with Chuck what was on my heart. I was losing sight of what God wanted to give us.

I wish God did miracles all by Himself. He could, but He doesn’t. He chooses to involve man. The Bible is clear that we have a part to play as to what we get out of this life. Some dreams will come easy. Other dreams, you’re going to have to dig in, putting your hands to the plow and refusing to quit.

Chuck never questioned my suggestion to set up the baby room. He just began to help me. He pulled the crib down from the attic and hauled all the furniture out to the shop so I could paint it. I busied myself cleaning out, throwing out, and putting away everything in that room—a once disorganized space, transformed into a beautiful baby suite in less than thirty days. Once I was finished, I wrote scriptures on a piece of paper and placed them in the room as a reminder of God’s promise to me. Every time I passed by the baby’s room, I remembered those scriptures. I denied my mind the right to overstep my faith.

You see, faith will work in your heart, with doubt in your head. It is what comes out of our mouths that makes the difference.

It was not easy trying to explain an empty baby room to the many guests that graced our home with no signs of a baby in the future. My message was simple, seeing is not believing; believing is seeing.

A long two-year journey with many twists and turns brought us to nine months exactly from the time we said goodbye until new life was created. The room we designed for a baby we could not physically see, would be full of laughter and cries come July! Those things that appeared to be lost were redeemed by a loving, merciful Father.

Early on in my pregnancy, I had a race scheduled, and it was fast approaching. Fear of losing another baby had me convinced to cancel my participation. There was no real danger for me, but fear has a way of convincing us the imaginary is real. Unwilling to negotiate with fear, I participated in the race, telling no one of our exciting news until I had conquered the illusions playing in my head. Baby and I not only finished, but we finished in style. Victory never tasted so sweet!

There was one more mile marker I had yet to cross, the heartbeat. Sitting in the doctor’s office awaiting my ultrasound, I was concerned I wouldn’t hear anything over the pounding of my own heart. The last time I found myself awaiting the ultrasound, the sound of silence brought heartbreak instead of a heartbeat. This time, I smiled, hearing this healthy bundle of joy having the time of her life on the inside. The flutters of a fast, healthy beating heart were that of which only a little girl could make. Chuck later told me he must move out to the shop since there would not be room for him in the house with three girls. He is a treasure!

The Howard’s are living proof that God has wonderful things in store for his people if we will CREATE A PLACE. What good is a dream with nowhere to house it?

Remove the boxes from where a crib should be.

Welcome Home

“Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine in the very heart of your house. Your children like olive plants all around your table. Behold, thus shall the man be blessed who fears the Lord.” Psalms 128:3

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