Thursday, February 21, 2013

"Behold Your Little Ones"

I've learned to pay attention to my dream because they are telling me something about myself and my life. There are some dreams that really stand out and stay with me so I give them extra attention. For instance, I had a dream about three little little girls that came through what looked like to me a plastic opening, like the kind that is on a shell on a truck that you zip to open and close it. They had come through one at a time. As I pondered that dream I came to the conclusion that they had been coming through the veil that is between Heaven and Earth. It is the same veil that we all came through to come here.

I had known even when I wasn't married that I would have children in this life. This dream came to me after I was married. To me the dream was telling me that my wife and I would have three girls all of which hadn't come to earth yet. I held on to that dream for years waiting for it to come to pass. Even after Lynsie had a hysterectomy I still knew children would come to us, it was just a matter of time.

Another dream: I dreamt of the name Andrea. That is weird dreaming of a name! I liked the name instantly because it started with the letter "A" like mine does. After I prepared breakfast I did what I usually did when I ate, I turned on the TV to my favorite channel, ESPN. As I watched and listened I realized the Sportscaster's name was Andrea. I thought, "This is interesting!". There was a reported out in the field doing some story that Andrea was turning the time over to, her name...........Andrea. Really?! Now if that isn't a sign I don't know what is so I went with it.

So now I know that one of my girls is going to have the name Andrea. Now what will her first name be? Andrea had to be her middle name because I want her initials to spell a word like mine do RAP. Lynsie's initials are LAP. So naturally we needed a first name to keep this going.

Many years ago I met a girl named Lenna in the BYU 10th ward that we both attended. We became good friends and stayed that way even after she died in 2002 from bone cancer. We had one of those friendships that didn't start here on earth, we just continued it and we will continue it into the next life.

One day while at the Provo Temple Lynise asked me all of these questions about Lenna. Lynsie didn't even know her so I didn't understand why she was asking so many questions so I asked why. She said because Lenna is in her head. I said "Listen". Lynise felt that our daughter's name should be Lenna. I couldn't think of a better name! So now we have another LAP.

A month later Lynsie and I are in the Provo Temple again sitting in the Celestial Room. I have the scriptures in hand doing my random scripture opening and pointing to a verse beleving what I read is what Heavenly Father is saying to me. I am about to stop when I hear Him say "One more. Turn to 3 Nephi 17:23". I do and it reads "And he spoke unto the multitude, and said unto them: Behold your little ones". I knew what it meant because I have known for years that "little ones" would be coming. I tucked it away in my mind knowing it would come to pass when the time was right.

Later that evening we received a call from a dear friend whom I have known for over 10 years. She is a  single mother of four beautiful children that I have known for the same amount of time. My friend said she wanted to talk with Lynsie and I on speaker phone. Already knowing what the call was about but not knowing what was going to be said, we listened intently trying to keep an open mind. She informed us that her 19 year old daughter had chosen us to adopt her baby girl. All we could do was smile and express words that felt too small and meaningless to truly convey what we were really feeling.

You have blessed our lives in a way that we never could. For that you are a Savior to us. You made it possible that our family and name will continue for at least another generation. You gave the greatest gift to us that you are able to, yourself and your blood. Our lives wil forever be intertwined, as if they haven't already but now it will be forever.

We love you! But more than that, Heavenly Father loves you for making the greatest sacrifice a parent can make, the giving of a child's life to others. HE knows how that feels. And now so do you.



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