Last week I was feeling so discouraged and overwhelmed that I skipped my Memorial Box Monday post. Tuesday wasn’t any better. Then I wrote and shared my heart and you guys were unbelievable. Thank you for your unconditional support, love and prayers. I was humbled by all your kind words, actually a better word would be ‘blown away’ (okay, so that’s two words). I was shocked and no, that’s not a false humility…I really was truly struggling with it all…..so thank you from the bottom of my heart and thank you for giving me permission to continue to talk about the fire. And there is no doubt that I could tell that you guys started stepping up the prayers. I am forever grateful.
This Memorial Box Monday I have a story to tell from 1993. As a little backdrop……I always wanted a boatload of kids. A big boatload. I didn’t care how they came: adoption, birth or dropped from the sky. Just a boatload. And for the record, I have been asked what a boatload is? My definition is this: When you look at a family picture and have a hard time quickly figuring out which is the mom and dad because of having to scan the sea of faces, that’s what I call a boatload. And yes, we will, Lord willing, one day have a boatload. =)
Abi was born in 1983 after years and years of infertility. Over the next 10 years I was only able to conceive 4 times and each of those little ones left my womb prematurely. We named them Timothy, Andrea, Meghan and John. They get to live with Jesus and we are so thankful that we will see them one day. It was a long haul.
Inbetween Timothy, Andrea, Meghan and John we had years of infertility accompanied by tests, shots, surgeries…yeah, not so much fun. But through those 10 years the Lord graciously brought us Tyler and Autumn through the miracle of adoption. We were ecstatic!
Miraculously in 1992 we were pastoring our first church in Virginia and found that I was pregnant (again!). I ended up on complete bedrest and eventually we had on July 22nd, 1993 a baby girl named Emma Joy. We were ecstatic to now have four precious little ones! She arrived with a mass of black hair at 7 lbs. 1 oz. absolutely adorable – complete with huge dark eyes and petite bone structure.
When Emma was 5-1/2 weeks old I was emptying the dishwasher. She was nestled in my arms sleeping soundly. One by one I would lift a dish out and put it away while Emmy slept in my left arm. I was praying softly as I worked away. How gracious God had been to continue to fulfill His promises, “He makes the barren woman to be at home the joyful mother of children.”
I remember looking down and kind of staring at her. Something didn’t feel right. I went back to putting the dishes away one by one. I looked down again. Hmmm. What was it? I felt like something was wrong even though Emma was sleeping soundly in my arm. I kept working and after another minute or two looked down again . This time Emma was completely blue. She was the same color as a pair of faded blue jeans. I freaked out. I hoisted her with both hands up over my head and screamed, “Emma, Emma, what’s wrong?” The quick movement allowed her to start breathing again.
We ended up in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at the same hospital I had delivered Emma less than 6 weeks before. Test upon test finally revealed that Emma had Apnea and we were told that I “interrupted a SIDS incident”. Many doctors told me that had I not been holding her she would no longer be with us. We were sent home with a heart monitor that she wore 24/7 for almost a year. She would often “forget to breath” and the machine would start blaring and we would have to gently shake her to help her remember. It was one of those years that was a defining moment in my life. Nothing mattered but the well-being of my baby girl and my other kids.
Hence, we have a little lead from the heart monitor in our Memorial Box reminding us that our Miracle-working, Mountain-moving, Awe-inspiring, Gasp-giving God had preserved and protected our precious gift. We will praise His name forever for allowing us to raise Emma. She is a delight to all who meet her: tender-hearted, gracious, a tad shy, loving Jesus most and wanting with all her heart to please Him. Emmy we love you! (And by the way, Emmy has a blog called Em On A Mission.)
To understand a Memorial Box, along with scripture that explains it, see this post. To be entered in the giveaway of a Memorial Box, please leave a comment mentioning it. (I am still hunting for one, can anyone spell f-r-u-s-t-r-a-t-e-d? But I am believing that it will be “worth the wait!”)
What a beautiful story. I am so sorry for your losses, but you have saved so many lives, making good out of the bad. God bless you and Dwight. And God bless Emma, for devoting her life to such a beautiful and worthy cause.
How wonderful God blessed you! In 1993 I too had my daughter in my arms, but as I was holding her Sharon went home.
I still think of her today, but your post blessed me because while He took mine, He left yours to work for Him and to bring others to Him. God does work in mysterious ways and how precious of him to allow me to join your blog if only to read this story of your Emma and what a blessing she is to the kids of Uganda I have read your blog for months and enjoy it, but this one touched me. Thank you for sharin
BTW, we were also in Virginia at that time, In Appomattox, VA.
Thanks for sharing another GREAT story.
I continue to be awed at all that we have in common. At age 22 (after 1 year of marriage) I was told I needed an immediate hysterectomy … I would never be able to get pregnant. I found a new doctor, for a 2nd opinion. Doctor #2 said he would hold off for awhile with the surgery (in order to pray), but he told me I had a 2% chance to ever get pregnant. I told everyone that God didn’t care about percentages.
12 years later, after 7 children (and another that went on to heaven), I was admitted to the hospital for a hysterectomy. The doctor opened me up, only to discover that God had healed me. I knew then that God had more children planned for us.
And, now … we have a BOATLOAD of children. (At least, I think, our boat is full.)
Blessings to you and your boatload!
mama of 13
What a sweet post about your precious Emma. Although I have not really been able to get to know Emma personally – just seeing her brings me joy. There is such a peace about her and Jesus literally radiates from her face. What a cool story – a true gift. Blessings to this sweet girl and to the family.
Linny,
I have only recently found your blog. I believe that the Lord directed my path. I know that He is using you to teach me. Thank you for being obedient.
I love the memorial box; it touches my heart each time I read a Memorial Box Monday post.
Sabrina
How amazing is God!? Thank You for being a blessing and encouragement for who are adopting (or in my case, have been adopted). May God keep Emma wish to serve Him in Uganda secure.
LOVE IT!! 🙂
From one ‘barren’ woman to another…God LOVES to fill our homes with kids, huh?” I always crack up when I read “MY” chapter, Isaiah 54. “The barren woman will have more children than all the other women.” :))) I LOVE your story, as I always love your Memorial Box stories. They are awesome!
Everytime I read your memorial box posts, it brings tears to my eyes and touches my heart. What an incredible story of how good our God is. It’s going to be beautiful to see when Em goes and starts her own orphanage. Hugs…
What a wonderful story, and I too am thankful that you “just happened” to be holding Emma at the right time. No such things as coincidences! I’m so sorry about the heartache connected with your other four sweet babies. Having lost our Benjamin Joel at 6 hours, I know that it is a bitter pill to swallow and something that remains with you forever. My comfort is that he is loved and treasured more than I can possibly imagine, and I will see him and be with him again. Blessings.
Oh Linn, Thank you for sharing Emma’s story. Our Elijah was born dead(cord wrapped twice around his neck had choked him during delivery.) He was blue and not breathing We immediately prayed and I laid my hands on his little blue head and said(mad at the enemy) I whispered, Elijah God has a plan for you. You BREATH. CRY Elijah cry! And our little one made this tiny kitten cry that was the most precious sound I ever heard. He was our miracle boy.It is so awesome to see God intervene in the plans of evil. Love you!
Linny~
What an amazing testimony! I’m so sorry you didn’t get to hold 4 of your precious ‘boatload,’ and I’m so glad you will see them again with Jesus! I L-O-V-E your Memorial Box posts! (I’m so excited I just got through my 2nd MBM post, thanks to your inspiration). I’m still looking for that ‘perfect’ box, but the real search has been within my heart where God has reminded me of just how many mountains He has moved on my behalf.
Praise the Lord for all your precious kiddos, and today especially sweet Emma!
Love~
I truly am sorry about Timothy, Andrea, Meghan and John Linn it’s defiantly not easy losing babies and I’m positive even more so from a mothers perspective. It is uplifting to know that they along with Patty or Patrick (we don’t know if the baby was a boy or girl, the baby would have been a sibling just up from me) and Rebekah will be waiting for us when we get to heaven.
Talk about mothers intuition (or the Holy Spirit speaking to you) thinking something was up before hand. That must have been frightening to have witnessed praise God for his Miracle both in her birth and saving her life for his purpose! I’m very thankful for his protection.(um and why would you need a heart monitor to wear? She has such a big heart I would think you could monitor it just fine without it:)
Praise God your a mom who doesn’t believe in “spoiling” – can’t stand that term – her babies by holding them too much. I hate to think of what the world would have missed!
Thanks for sharing such an awesome story of Gods faithfulness!
beautiful! i love it!
WOW! That is amazing!!! What a gift you (and Uganda) were given!! Thanks for sharing …
Blessings, Lisa C.
Your stories always leave me completely amazed Linn. God’s presence in your life has never been in doubt.
What a beautiful story of your sweet Emma. Thank you again for sharing your faith and your trust in God with the world! I love reading your posts each morning!
Keep inspiring us!
Jennifer (Georgia)
So amazing! But isn’t our God like that. What a testimony Emma will have with other women who walk through trails. Thank you for sharing so much of your heart with us. Blessings.
Noreen
Bless her heart!!! I can’t wait to meet her in person. I am amazed and hope that my girls turn out to be at least half the woman of God she is.
And Linny…you already have a boatload. No, I’m not talking about the kiddos on the sidebar of your blog. You have a boatload of kids who are impacted by you and Dw yearly. These kids are part of your brood…God’s brood that He has blessed you with. Trusted you with, to teach about Him! What a responsibility!! WHOO HOO! Your dreams have come true!!
I have never read your original post on the Memorial Box, but clicked on the link you had to go to it. That story really touched me, you see we had a little chicken once when our older girls were little. She was a road island red, that we named Baby. I didn’t really growup liking chickens, in fact I was deathly afraid of them, but after my husband and i had been married a few years he talked me into getting some baby chicks. We had little money and I thought it would be a smart financial decision, you know the gift that keeps on giving. Anyway over the course of time(short time) all of our little chickens died off, except for Baby. She too worked her way up on our front porch. In the summer time we would leave our front door open because of the heat and one day I came into the livingroom and kid you not Baby was sitting up on the arm of the chair watching tv. It was the oddest yet cutest thing Id ever seen. I thought at that point to shoo her out of the house but didn’t have the heart as she really looked like she was enjoying herself. So I let her stay. She made her way back in here and there over time and she was always respectful to never make a mess. I remember when some friends of ours came over once and were so shocked to see a CHICKEN sitting in the living room watching tv. Thanks for bringing back that Memory. Its funny how we forget things over time. Even the most special of things. I think I realized by reading that story about Ezra and remembering the story of Baby how important it is for us to keep these memories alive. Thank you!
I’m sorry that you lost 4 babies, but wow you have saved so many lives by adopting! What a great story about Emma. So glad that you noticed her turning blue. She’s a miracle! When my now 21 year old brother was a baby, my mom said that he would go limp, turn blue, and she would sometimes have to put him under water to get him to “come to”. He had to wear some kind of backpack and the dr kept his head wrapped in some kind of bandage. My mom said the doctors at Stanford never found out was wrong but reading your post, maybe my brother and Emma had the same kind of condition? God bless you!
I love your Memorial box posts! My sister and I were able to share about your memorial box tradition at our women’s bible study last week. Just sharing the love! You are a blessing to me.
Barbra King
I want a boatload, too! As a child I would play “big families” !! My dream was to fill the whole pew with our children!
Our Katie was on a apnea monitor, too. She had RSV at 1 week old and was hospitalized. We went home with the monitor, BUT she never turned blue. Thank the Lord you were holding your precious Emma!! It is so amazing to look back and see all the Lord has done in our lives! We have so much to be grateful for- thank you Jesus!
I love her blog- what an awesome girl!!
Blessings to you sweet friend!
Jean
Linny,
I am starting a memorial box (looking for one right now). I had never heard of one before I came on here…I really feel like the Lord led me here awhile back so that I could remember His promises.
We are in the process of adopting a little girl from China who has a heart condition (there is a lot more information on my blog). We have been told that she is struggling, has been pulled from her foster home and having spells of turning blue and struggling to breathe…and here we sit waiting for our LOA!
It is a time of trusting the Lord and keeping my eyes on Him AND remebering Hid promisises and the things He has done.
I just wanted to say thanks for sharing because the Lord is using your writing in my life all the way in Washington State.
Linn,
I have been reading others’ Memorial Box Monday posts and wondering “what is that?” Now that I have read your post about how it started, I think its awesome! I have a dear friend, with 3 young children, who is struggling to overcome fibrosarcoma (bone cancer). I’ve been a bit discouraged lately that our prayers are not being answered. Your post about your sweet Ezra makes me realize that if God cares enough to take care of your rooster, He cares more for my friend.
Thank you!
Kimberlie
Mum to 2 boys and 1 girl from China.