Heidi laid down the announcement they’d received in today’s mail on the table. Kendra and her husband, Brent, who’d gotten married last December, were expecting a baby this coming November. My namesake, little Heidi, will have a new brother or sister by Christmas.
Heidi smiled at her own sweet baby, nestled in her arms. One-month-old Laura had come to live with them a few weeks ago, and there was no chance of her being taken away. The adoption had been prearranged so that Heidi and Lyle would take the baby soon after she was born. Now they had three precious children to raise.
Randy had done well during his first year in school and looked forward to starting the second grade. Marsha seemed to enjoy Laura as much as Heidi did, for she hovered around the baby and sang her some silly songs.
Both Randy and Marsha had become fluent in the Pennsylvania Dutch language. But then, Heidi reasoned, children learn more quickly than most adults.
Laura’s eyes fluttered open, then closed again. She was such a good baby—truly a blessing.
More good news had come a few days ago, when Darren, Ellen, Jeremy, and Becky stopped in for a surprise visit. Heidi was pleased when they asked if she and Lyle would attend their wedding in September. This news in itself was cause for a celebration.
Heidi felt certain the Lord had been with her through every cooking class she’d taught. Many people’s lives had changed for the better, and she, as well as her students, had made some new friends.
Her gaze came to rest on the Bible, lying on the table beside the rocking chair where she sat. Heidi reflected on Psalm 6:9, the verse that she’d written on the recipe for surprise muffins: “The LORD hath heard my supplication; the LORD will receive my prayer.”
Heidi’s thumb caressed the baby’s soft cheek. Even though she couldn’t bear children of her own, God had given Heidi the desire of her heart by allowing her and Lyle to raise three precious children. Thank You, Lord, for receiving my prayer. May every day with my friends and family feel like a celebration.