Eva wanted a sister before her little mind could even comprehend that. She would follow me around the house at three years old and ask when she was getting a baby sister. Honestly, I questioned it myself. What was taking so long? Why were there complications?
In the Bible, God said this walk of faith would be a fight but that it would be a GOOD fight (1 Timothy 6:12)! Just because we hit barriers or limitations, remember – God is limitless! All He requires is faith. “We HAVE not because we ASK not,” James 4:2.
As the setbacks kept knocking me down, I remember wanting to quit and throw in the towel. Was it apparent another baby was not in our future? It looked impossible in the natural world, but God operates out of faith. He creates based on the invisible, not the visible. And He requires the same from us.
Deep down, I knew Charlotte was trying to get here. ( click here for On Eagles Wings and click here for Create a Place)
When Charlotte finally arrived, and they placed her in my arms, I thought I was looking at Eva. Not only were they born only days apart, but the five-year separation was only noticeable by a half inch in their birth height. They were almost identical. Even their birth weight was the same, down to the ounces. I concluded that as God was fashioning baby Charlotte, He gave Eva a special “wink,” if you will – her twin.
Eva spent every moment in the hospital with us. Even though she had the freedom to stay with her grandparents, she only wanted to be by her sister. She would feed, change, hold, and love on her without tiring.
Her help and aid proceeded her years. Even now, although she thinks and acts like a six-year-old, some glimpses go beyond her years. She rescues Charlotte when my back is turned and picks out all her Christmas presents. Nearly every drawing encompasses two curly-headed little girls holding hands. Dress-up and karaoke have taken on a whole new meaning. The sound of heels clipping around and off-pitch music echoing down the hall is good for the soul.
Whatever Eva is doing, Charlotte joins her. The other evening, I was cooking supper and looked out my kitchen window. The girls had been jumping on the trampoline. I could hear their giggles and squeals over the clanging of pots and pans. However, now all was quiet. I looked out the window to see what had brought the sudden change in tone. My heart melted when I saw Eva sit down and Charlotte toddle over next to her and crouch in a seated position right next to her. Charlotte looked so tiny as she looked up at Eva, who was talking to her as if Charlotte understood every word she said. I couldn’t help but think, “The friendship that is developing now will last a lifetime.”
During Sunday school, the kids were learning the Lord’s Prayer. They were on the last section, “For Thine is the kingdom, the power, the glory, forever and ever – Amen.” The teacher asked the kids to bow their heads and quietly think of one thing they could praise God for. If they wanted, one at a time, they could say their praise out loud. I knew Eva would never speak out loud in a crowd. I was sitting in the back that Sunday, and after class, as we walked out, I leaned over and told Eva, “I praised God for butterflies.” Expecting gumballs and puppies, I asked her what she praised God for. She lovingly responded with one word, “Charlotte.” The years of “the good fight” came rushing back to me. Unable to speak, I nodded and squeezed her tight. I was silently thanking God for two peas in a pod.
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