A Joyful Thanksgiving

I want to share a Thanksgiving blessing with you.

As many of you know, on Thanksgiving Day 2010, I delivered my twin sons and they both passed away within hours of each other. Needless to say, this week has been looming on my heart for some time. Besides losing my sons, the weight of infertility still presses on me. And, to top it all off, I have a brain tumor preventing me from pursuing any further fertility treatments until my radiation is complete.

It’s been a rough year.

As usual, God has shown up in my life in an incredible way. This is nothing short of a miracle, and I hope it fills your heart with His goodness:

I attend a monthly infertility support group at my doctor’s office in Fort Worth. Though I’m not pursuing fertility treatment at this time, I continue to go to the meetings for encouragement and to exchange medical info.

Last Monday, I went to the monthly meeting and met a new girl. I introduced myself as ‘Kathryn,’ and it was halfway through the meeting before she exclaimed, “Are you Katie, Courtney’s friend!?!” She had heard my story before and we talked and talked – mostly about medical things – and exchanged contact information so I could send her some medication information.

Later that night, my new friend called me and said she was so glad to meet me and that meeting me had given she and her husband direction they’d been waiting on. Weird – I didn’t share that much medical info! She said they had something they wanted to give us, and that it was urgent they give it that night.

Hesitantly, I gave her our address in Arlington and they set off from Keller (a LONG drive).

They arrived about an hour later and we met just inside our front door. She explained how she’d been given this gift for infertility and knew when she received it that it was, indeed, for infertility, but also knew it was not for her. They’d been waiting for God to tell them who to pass it on to. When she met me that night, she knew God wanted this for us. When her husband heard of her meeting me, he also was convicted.

Then, they gave us an extremely large sum of money.

I could write an entire theological treatise on all the thoughts and emotions that happened over the next few days, but suffice it to say we learned about God’s grace. Though we certainly didn’t deserve the money, He was giving it to us anyway!

The coolest part about this isn’t the money. Yes, we are broke and in debt from previous medical bills. Yes, we have had to scramble to put together money to pay for my radiation and to cover the paycheck I’ll be losing. But, God has provided for all of that.

The coolest part – and what I’m incredibly thankful for – is that God saw my heart. Just the day before at church, I’d been crying with my friends saying how I felt forgotten by God…that the delay without future direction was so hard. I knew that God was there, of course, but I was just feeling so heartbroken. The very next day, He reached through a stranger and sent us a message: He has
not forgotten us; He has a plan for us, and He will provide everything we need.
El Roi, the God who sees me, is why I am thankful this season. To be such an insignificant part of eternity and have the God of all creation see right into my heart and respond to my need of hope – wow.

This Thanksgiving is still wrought with grief for me, but I am also refreshed by the generosity of a stranger and the comforting touch of my Father.

A Joyful Thanksgiving to all of you.


PS – I got an email from my new friend on Saturday. Two things: The person who
gave her the money shared that she really didn't think my benefactor needed the
money, but felt so convicted by God to give it anyway - they both believe God really intended this all along! Secondly, my friend's insurance company
contacted her after she gave me the money and told her they’d over charged her
on a bill and were refunding her money. Of course, it was about the same amount
of money that she’d given me. God is good – funny – and good.