Bring me joy, bring me peaceBring the chance to be free
Bring me anything that brings you glory
And I know there'll be days
When this life brings me pain
But if that's what it takes to praise You
Jesus, bring the rain
~Mercy Me, "Bring the Rain"
Bring the rain is the story of Audrey Caroline. She is still in her mommy's tummy right now, but she will be born on Monday, April 7, at 33 weeks. You see, Audrey Caroline is a very sick little girl. There is an absence of amniotic fluid in the womb, and that has caused many problems for this little angel. Her heart, though beating strong, is 80% larger than it should be. Her lungs have not developed. Her kidneys are not functioning. But she has the hiccups a lot, and she likes to put her hands in her mouth. She has been in a very uncomfortable position in her mommy's tummy. Her mommy continues to worry that Audrey Caroline is in pain, but the doctors continue to assure her that she is not.
Because Audrey Caroline is in a frank breach position, a c-section will be performed. But they are probably going to have to do a classical c-section, meaning the incision will be vertical instead of horizontal. This baby has been given a 0% chance of survival in this world. Her mommy and daddy have a resting gown for her and have ordered her casket.
No, I do not know her mommy or her family. During my own personal struggles recently, I prayed that God would just help me and speak to my heart and help me to be a better mommy. So in a very unexpected way, God led me to the story of Audrey Caroline. Her mommy keeps a blog for her. It is a very raw, emotional account of the past 3 months. It has really touched my heart and emotions in a very powerful way. I will not cease thanking God and praising God for the blessings of Mason and Hannah Katherine. I pray I will never take them, or my time with them, for granted. It's okay if Hannah Kate cries all the way through Wal-Mart and Kroger week after week. It's okay if she cries for 2 hours at the end of the day when I'm trying to get supper and a bath for Mason and clean up after a long day of play while Seth is out-of-town. It's okay that Mason still isn't potty trained. It's okay that my house isn't exactly as clean as I would like it to be. It's okay that there are toys scattered everywhere. It's okay that I get tired of staying home all of the time and feel like the walls are closing in around me. As a matter of fact, it's more than okay. It's a blessing!
Please pray for Audrey Caroline's mommy. Her name is Angie. She loves Jesus so much and has accepted His plan for Audrey Caroline. But that doesn't make any easier what this mommy will go through on Monday. It doesn't lessen the pain or dry the tears or diminish the grief. In the meantime, if you have some time (and A LOT of kleenex, and you don't mind to cry), you can read all about Audrey Caroline on her blog.
Audrey Caroline's daddy is Todd. He is one of the members of the contemporary Christian recording group Selah. She has 3 sisters --- twins Ellie and Abby are 5, and Kate is 2.