It can be hard for a Dad to connect with his children before they are born. This post… if it is anything… is an attempt to connect with the heart of my unborn daughter.
It is HARDER of course for their mother who actually does the work of carrying and birthing the baby. I am privileged to walk alongside my wife, the Empress Jordan, as she does so.
I woke up this morning thinking about my daughter Havilah Louise. We plan on calling her “Lou”
Lizzie and Lou are going to be the almost official definition of Irish Twins. They will be born somewhere right around 13 months apart.
The term Irish twins was originally a derogatory term…basically to make fun of the Irish Catholics lack of birth control in the 1800s
Since I am
1. Irish (through my Irish Catholic grandmother) and
2. A Father who loves his daughters…
I’m claiming it with joy for these two.
Sometimes God gives special grace and tells us things before they happen1… With Haddie and Asher: God told Jordan their names and genders ahead of time. This was years before we got married.
The day Haddie was conceived God spoke the name: Hadassah to me as I prayed on my knees.
During Covid, when Asher was conceived, I wasn’t able to go to his ultrasounds… While I was waiting for Jordan in the parking lot, He confirmed (before we knew scientifically) that Asher was a boy.
Before Lizzie was born and before I knew that she was a girl… God met me in my place of anticipation and shared his love and affection for Elizabeth Elaine.
The day Lizzie was born, I believe God showed me a picture of two of my daughters as teenagers. This happened on the way to the hospital. It was interesting… the main subject of the picture was actually Havilah… not Lizzie (the one I was about to meet)
In the picture I was working at one of those office parks. The kind of place you have your own office with a door to the outside…
I saw a young woman dressed up in stylish clothes and a hat walking towards an office door. When she got to the door and opened it she yelled: “Dad!”
I was there in the office… and there standing behind me was My Lizzie.
Ever since Lizzie was tiny tiny we have been pretty close… most of this comes from her health issues. She literally needs more than my other children2…. But I get the sense from this picture that this may in fact continue on into later years. Lizzie to me is my ClingOn Assistant. She loves coming and joining me in my office while I work.
I get the impression from this picture they Havilah is going to be… different… I’m not exactly sure how. But I am already falling in love with her. I’m so thankful that God showed her to me, even on the day of Lizzie’s birth.
My prayer for Lizzie and Lou is that though they be different, they would grow and be close… my prayer for me: is that I would learn to love each of my kids with their vast array of gifts and needs.
This post is dedicated to Havilah Louise. I can’t wait to meet her!
Havilah is a Hebrew word and name:
The first time it shows up in the Bible it references a land where the gold dwells (Genesis 2:11)
Havilah is from: the verb חול (hul), to whirl.
This took on special meaning for me this week as I wrote the post: The Father’s Goodness
In that: I reference the book of Job where God speaks to Job out of the whirlwind. It is such a powerful moment where God shows Himself to Job.
Hence: My Little Golden Whirlwind.
My prayer for Havilah is that she would demonstrate this boldness and ferocity of the Lord. May her beauty be great, just like His… May she challenge me in this way like the Lord challenges me every day.
If I had to guess… I’m going to have to learn some things from her. May Abba, Father remind me of this when it is time.
I am always being challenged by my Jesus. I can’t wait to be challenged by my Havilah…
More than that I can’t wait to love on her… to father her…. To be with her.
May you know, like me, that even if your earthly father isn’t around…. You have a Heavenly Father who loves you much more than I could ever love my Havilah.
He is GOOD and what He does SOOO incredibly good
Footnotes
1. There are actually plenty of examples in scripture… most famous ones being God telling Mary about Jesus and telling Zechariah about John the Baptist. (See Matthew 1 and Luke 1). Multiple prophets had this experience.
2. See: Tales of an Infant Asthmatic
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