Psalm 23:1 ESV
Psalm 23:1 NCV
My youngest son was born the day after my birthday the year I turned thirty.
I had my older three children between the ages of 23 and 26 years of age. Then I miscarried (lost) a baby when I was 28 years old.
All of my children were delivered via Cesarean Section (the old way) and I knew this fourth C-Section would be my last. In those days they didn’t advise a woman have more than two C-Sections. I pushed it beyond those limits.
Psalm 23:1 says, “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.”
The day my youngest son was born I experienced a great blessing when God helped the doctors to put me back together. They said there was hardly any tissue left to work with when they stitched me up.
It took them 45 minutes.
Everyone waiting in the recovery room was praying and they thought something terrible had happened.
Nope. The baby was a fine healthy boy. He was fine. It just took a while to close up the wound.
It was more than worth it.
At the time my youngest son was born my daughter (the oldest) was 7 years old. She was an incredible incredible helper.
She never played much with dolls, and that isn’t because she was a tomboy.
It was because she had real babies to play house with. By the time the third boy came the two middle boys were always busy creating something that they could bomb with rocks, and she was playing Mother with her little brother.
I shall not want.
When I lost my fourth baby I was sad, but I felt like God had a plan. Every time I conceived, I had a dream that showed me the child. I knew I would have a girl, then a red headed boy, then a little scrappy boy with brown hair. In my fourth dream I saw a blonde headed girl whose name was Angela.
She’s the one I lost. I know she’s in heaven waiting for us.
I knew God wanted me to have another baby which meant a fourth C-Section. Everybody told me I was crazy. But I knew that God told me it would be okay so I pressed on.
The fifth time I conceived it was another boy.
Three boys. Yup. Three. Rough and rowdy boys every one.
It WAS a crazy ride and I’m ever so grateful my second set of eyes (my daughter) was the oldest. Oh my, she was (is) such a blessing!
I shall not want.
I was 30 years old when my youngest was born.
This year marks 39 years for him.
While having four C-Sections from 1976-1983 was unconventional and even unadvised at the time, it was what God wanted. And God provided.
I shall not want.
Looking back on my tribe it seems like it was freakishly crazy but God made it work.
My daughter was the caretaker…she is now caretaker for her clients.
My oldest son (who used to blow things up) served his country as a weapons specialist for 21 years and he’s now a technology and leadership guru.
My middle son (his compadre) now solves resource problems for his company.
My youngest son serves his country and looks toward space…
What I KNOW is that he WAS supposed to be part of our tribe. Even though everybody said I was crazy.
I shall not want.
I love the New Century Version of Psalm 23:1, “The Lord is my shepherd; I have everything I need.”
That’s the absolute truth.
Today’s Spiritual Practice is: Praise God
Praise God for the unusual twists and turns in your life that make you realize, you shall not want because you have everything you need.
In God, Deborah
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