Heidi Bruder

I am a journaler.  I love to journal.  I enjoy being able to look back and see how the Lord has answered prayers and led me through difficult times.  I was looking back over my journals tonight and I saw one that caught my eye.  On Thanksgiving Day 2007, I was asked to share a short message on “Thanks-Living in New Blessings.”  At the time, Levi was a mere 5 weeks old.  I’d like to share it here because as I read it, I was struck again by how faithful my God is.  The Joy of the Lord is my strength.  The Joy He provides isn’t a reaction to life’s circumstances.  It is a constant in each and every circumstance.  This is a powerful reality as I am in the midst of a journey through a whole host of emotions.   Have my circumstances changes since Thanksgiving 2007?  Absolutely.  Has my God?  Absolutely not.

November 22, 2007
THANKS-LIVING IN NEW BLESSING:

1 Samuel 1:26-28: And Hannah said to him, “As surely as you live, my lord, I am the woman who stood here beside you praying to the LORD.  I prayed for this child, and the LORD has granted me what I asked of him. So now I give him to the LORD. For his whole life he will be given over to the LORD.” And she worshiped the LORD there.

The past three years of parenting have been an amazing journey of blessing, challenge, joy, heartache, being humbled and standing in awe of the blessings God has given to me. I’ve learned that I have a lot to learn about being a mom and that I can’t do it apart from relying upon the Lord.  The words of Nehemiah in Nehemiah 8:10 have been a resounding theme through my time as a mother.  These words read, “The Joy of the Lord is my Strength.”

Mike and I have been blessed greatly with three children. I can honestly say that my greatest desire as a mother is that my children belong to the Lord.

Noah is a 3 year old that brings countless smiles to my heart.  His affectionate hugs and kisses, his love of instruments and his constant climbing and activity level keep my life from being anything but boring!  In the times of laughter and in the challenges of raising a 3 year old, I am reminded again of the words of Nehemiah, “The Joy of the Lord is my strength.”  I thank God for the joy of raising Noah.

Our middle child died in my womb before we were ever able to hold or kiss him.  We call have named this precious little one our “Glory Baby.”  The loss of this child brought profound pain and sadness to my life.  However, it has also brought blessing beyond anything I could have imagined.  I rest knowing that my Glory Baby is resting in my Savior’s arms.  I am confident that one day, I will be united with this precious child.  I look forward to the day that I can hold, kiss and rock this little one.  Through the pain and the blessings of Glory Baby’s short life and Glory baby’s untimely death, I confidently say that “the Joy of the Lord is my Strength.”

Just 5 weeks ago, the Lord blessed us with a baby boy, Levi Alan.  As we marvel again at the miracle of life, we praise God for the gift of a healthy baby.  Through the wonder of seeing Levi’s little fingers wrap around mine, the challenges of sleepless nights, and all the concern that come with having a newborn, I can truly say that the “Joy of the Lord is my Strength.”

We have chosen each of our children’s names in large part because of their meaning.  Noah means “rest and comforter.”  In the Bible, Noah listened to the Lord and was obedient to him when it wasn’t evident what the Lord’s plan was. Our prayer is that our Noah will live his life learning to listen to, and obey the Lord, even in the face of great opposition and when it is the hard thing to do.

The name Levi means to “join or belong.”  Our prayer is that the Lord will daily join Levi to Him, binding Levi’s heart to His.  We pray that the Lord will allow Levi to serve Him the way the tribe of Levi served the Lord.

I truly Praise the Lord this Thanksgiving for the blessings he has given to me…the blessings of a wonderful husband, a delightful 3 year old boy, my Glory Baby, and the new blessing of a beautiful, healthy boy.

And so, I close with the words of Hannah from 1 Samuel, “I prayed for these children, and the LORD has granted me what I asked of him. So now I give them to the LORD. For their whole life they will be given over to the LORD.”