Austin, Did you Know?

Dueteronomy 2:7 The Lord has blessed you in all the work of your hands.

I wanted to write Austin this letter after receiving a beautiful email from one of my former students, Becky Heyse - pictured above with Austin (6 months)

Dear Austin,

I want you to someday read this and understand how unique your life is. Before you were born, I worked at the Baptist Student Ministry at TCU. Every single day while you were growing inside of me, you heard the voices of some of the most Godly college students I have ever met. Every day, your mom would meet with five or six college women for discipleship and during those days we would talk about life, about our struggles, about you, about marriage, about school, and about growing in our relationship with God. Each and every day, those college students would ask me how you were doing, how I was feeling, and how they could be praying for us.

As the day for you to be born came closer, your dad and I had some decisions to make. Would I continue working with college students, or would I stay home with you for the first year of your life? The college students made the decision easy. They encouraged me to do whatever it took to be a Godly mom to you. I knew in my heart that although I absolutely LOVED my job, I needed to stay home with you and watch you grow that first year.

As soon as you were born, the girls came to the hospital to see you. They held you and prayed over you and asked when they could babysit. Your very first babysitter was Becky Heyse. She is so special to our family and I knew that I trusted my girls if I could leave you with them. Caralisa came over and helped your grandma do your footprints, and Hillary often babysat so I could pack, clean or sleep during those first few difficult days.

Those first days were hard, baby, because although I loved you, I missed my college girls. Do you know how special the Lord is? He allowed your dad to take a job as the Director of Baptist Student Ministries at UNT that summer after you were born. For all the relationships I was leaving behind, the Lord was preparing new relationships for us with the college students in Denton, TX.

Do you know, Austin, how blessed we are? You have already been on two mission trips at the age of two. You have a second home at the BSM, and your own home is constantly filled with college students who are trying to walk a Godly life. They love you, they play with you, and they make you think that you are a college student yourself. You are the only two-year-old I know who thinks that every beautiful, young college woman only has eyes for him. You are the only two-year-old at preschool who waits to be picked up to make a basket because you have been so spoiled by guys like Ryan Gay who always make sure you can reach the rim.

During these days, it is so difficult for us to be away from our family - your grandparents and aunts and uncles, but then I think... oh, do we know how the Lord has blessed us through the relationships with college students?

Your life will be different, Mr. Austin. You will not always have your grandparents at your birthday parties and you will not always understand why our home is busy and active, but I want you to know, my precious boy, that we have said Yes to Jesus and we truly believe that this will be more than we ever hoped or dreamed for you!

Love you,

Mom

Austin with Caralisa

Austin with Stephanie

Katy and Stephanie visiting Austin in the hospital

Becky visiting after Austin came home from hospital

Some of my precious, TCU girls.