Two Grandmothers, A Blankie and a Quilt

It is one week until we get to meet our second granddaughter, Dasah Brielle Dennis.  By November 11th, all our family, including my sweet Daddy and his wife Nancy, and Kevin's parents, Kathy and Jim Dennis, will be gathered to await the birth of this precious little one, scheduled to arrive via C- Section,  the morning of Nov. 13th.  In the meantime, I have been doing what my mother did for all of my children, before they were born.  I make a blankie.  I can remember mom embroidering such whimsical designs on little flannel blankies. (Sadly, my embroidery skills don't even come close to how intricate and perfect my mother's stitches were!) I made one for Sophie and I had to make one for Dasah. We held Sophie in that blankie and we said goodbye to her wrapped up in it.  She was also laid to rest in it. Then, Lindsey asked me to make another one just like it, and so I made Sophie blankie #2.  It was with a bittersweet memory that  I made my blankie for Dasah.   As I cut, sewed and stitched, I pictured her all wrapped up in this expression of my love. There must be a prayer for every stitch on this blankie, and a thousand more thoughts of love, and a some tears as well.

On each corner is an embroidered flower, a symbol of the myrtle tree blossom, which is bitter to the taste but has a "sweet aroma." Dasah's name comes from the Hebrew name, Hadassah or Esther,  and is from the root word that means myrtle tree.    Written on each side of this little blankie are special words. One side does say, "Sweet Aroma."  For we truly pray that Dasah's story is one that leaves the fragrance of Christ as Paul expresses in 2 Corinthians 2:14," But thanks be to God, who always leads us in His triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place."  I am praying that the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Jesus goes all over the world, because of  Dasah's life.

 

  In another corner of the blankie is the phrase, "God is our Might."  Dasah's middle name, Brielle,  holds this meaning.   And truly we are seeing that God is the Mighty One who goes before us, and with us, and surrounds Kevin and Lindsey and our families with all the power of 10,000 angel armies. In these coming days and the day of her arrival, the morning of November 13th ( Unless of course she decides to come earlier! ) we are praying for His Mighty presence to surround us.
We have a God who is on our side and who is with us in this unfolding story.  Dasah has proven to be a strong little girl.  She kicks up a storm, and moves about in Lindsey's womb, bolding declaring her presence! As Lindsey and Kevin have been able to see her movement during their ultra sounds, they also notice how she is practicing her breathing and swallowing.  We know God is giving her that strength and ability. 

On another side of the blankie is the Scripture from Esther 4:14 "...for such a time as this."  This Scripture reflects the essence of the Biblical story of Esther as God placed her in history, in order to save the Jewish nation of her time.  We believe Dasah has been carried in Lindsey's womb these past months for a particular plan and purpose that our God knows all about.  We believe her life, and the time God gives her to us after she is born, will also be for a special purpose.  And that is why on another side of the blankie it says, "Glory and Hope."  We are praying Dasah's life will give great glory to God.  We are praying others find hope in this story of cherishing life and celebrating the gifts God gives us in a way that honors His name. Kevin recently wrote a deep and rich blog entry in Lindsey's blog, www.vaporandmist.wordpress.com  on hope.  Going there will draw your heart to theirs as they reflect so honestly, how this journey has taken them to deep and rich places where Jesus has met them and given them a new understanding of where our true hope should rest.
                                                                                                                                            
                                                                    The Blankie

                                                             
                                                               Two Grandmothers

Making this blankie was bittersweet.  I stitched with love and an aching heart.  I have pleaded with the Lord to bring healing to our Dasah, yet with a submission to His divine plans.  Just as Kevin and Lindsey sometimes express they are daunted by the realities ahead, knowing they went down this same journey with Sophie, I share this anticipation too. Kathy Dennis,  Kevin's mother, and I have talked frequently, and share this bond as only two grandmothers's on a second difficult journey together can.   Several months ago we were talking and she expressed the desire to make a quilt for Dasah.( She had made a beautiful one for Sophie, full of squares created by family and close friends. It was truly spectacular!)  I am so glad she followed the Lord's sweet promptings to create one for Dasah.    It is just as beautiful and such an heirloom. There are squares with expressions of love from friends and family all over the world.  

                                                                         The Quilt

Kathy with Kevin, as she presented the quilt and skyped with Lindsey as Kevin was recently in Colorado, and able to see his parents while there for meetings.

                                                The Quilt - a treasure of love from friends
                                                          near and far, honoring Dasah
                                                            Created by Kathy Dennis

This is what a grandmother does.  We try to create something from our heart, for the moment, for the ones we love. For Kathy and I it was "a blankie and a quilt."  I think we both can say that out of the sorrows of our hearts, God has done something beautiful as we allowed Him to lead us and use us for His own creative plans. I think the "blankie and the quilt" are just the seeds of the beauty God plans to be seen from Dasah's story in our own lives as grandmothers. Even though Kathy lives in Colorado, our hearts became knitted together after spending several weeks in Orlando waiting for Sophie.   I am so thankful for her friendship and sharing in this journey together.
 
And so, we will meet again in Orlando next week, holding on to hope for Dasah's healing, yet whatever our great God gives, we will love our little granddaughter Dasah with expressions of love that are all bottled up inside each of our hearts just waiting to come out when we see her and hold her in our arms.

These are prayers Kevin and Lindsey have requested, should you be led to pray specifically.

1.  God would use Dasah's life and Kevin and Lindsey's and their families lives, for His glory

2.  Full healing of Dasah's whole body (brain, skull and every part) on this earth

3.  If God's plan is not to heal Dasah on this earth, that He would enable us to bring Dasah home from
     hospital alive . ( Yes, this has happened in some cases and oh how it would be such a gift from 
     the Lord.)

4.  God would give us an ever increasing faith in Him

5.  God would give us the hope and joy that are found in Jesus

6.  Lindsey's body would remain healthy and for the c section details - The Great Physician's hand to
     guide the doctors, and attending nurses.

7.  For us as a couple to continue to love and serve one another supernaturally well, in the midst of
     varying emotions and heaviness of heart


Your prayers mean the world to our families.  Thank you with all this mother's and grandmother's heart can express.    

 

This song was recently shared with me.  It is called, "Plead for Me."  It set my heart to believe that even though I don't know how to pray, my Savior pleads for me and all that encompasses my life. 

The song "Plead for Me"