Monday, May 17, 2010

Give Thanks!

“Give Thanks to the Lord, for He is good;
For his steadfast love endures forever.” Psalm 136:1.

Heather and I are pleased to announce the birth of our second son, Owen Robert Wessman. Owen was born at 11:26 am on Friday, May 14, 2010. Owen weighs 7 pounds 13 ounces and is 22 inches long. Both Heather and Owen are healthy.

Last Friday, the verse that Heather and I had in mind throughout the delivery was Philippians 4:5-7: “The Lord is at hand. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Given our experiences, we have had earthly reason to be anxious for the health of our new little son. But the Lord gave us a sense of His presence; The Lord was “at hand” at Owen’s birth.

We are so very thankful for little Owen. We know that we are not entitled to another child. God does not “owe us” Owen. Owen is a gift —a gift that we are so grateful to receive.

We also know that no amount of anxiety on our part can do anything to change God’s sovereign plan for Owen. The same God who determines times and seasons, who sets up rulers and kingdoms, who determines allotments and lifespans has the life of little Owen in his arms. God’s plans for Owen, as they were for Micah, have not changed from the beginning. Psalm 139:16 says, “Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.”

Hebrews 13:8 says, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” And, James 1:17 says, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.” God was not surprised by Micah’s death, nor was Owen’s life unplanned by God. God is working out his plan for Heather, for me, for Micah and for Owen. And these plans are unchanged. Let’s continue to trust that the Lord is at hand, and for the peace of God to guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.




8 comments:

  1. Thank you for sharing with us both Micah and Owen. God is good, all the time.

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  2. he looks beautiful! we're very happy for you and heather.

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  3. How awesome is He!!! Congratulations to you both! May you both enjoy the precious gift of Owen! You are in our thoughts! and prayers!

    The Carey's

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  4. I've visited your blog for quite a while. Praise the Lord for this beautifully written, truth-filled post. Praise God for your beautiful baby!

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  5. I am so happy to hear your news of Owen. Congratulations! I can only imagine that these days are full of many mixed emotions, and I am praying for God's grace and peace in each and every moment of joy and sorrow. May you find He is sufficient and faithful at every turn.

    And thank you for the reminder that God doesn't owe us anything. You're right, and sometimes I forget that. It is all a gift.

    Blessings on your new little one. Welcome, Owen!

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  6. Congratulations! I wasn't able to read your blog while I was in Syria so I didn't realize Owen was born. This is great news. I love his name.

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  7. What a precious addition to the world, and may Owen bring many tears and cheers to your lives as he grows in grace and wisdom into manhood, may it please the Lord! God bless you both, and congratulations!!!

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