This is the story of our precious baby boy, who was diagnosed prenatally at
17 weeks with a fatal chromosome disorder called Trisomy 13. Although
Jonathan's condition is considered "not compatible with life", we desired to give
him every chance at life. Our prayer is that those who are touched by our story
are drawn to God, who is Life Himself. John 14:6

To start at the beginning of our story, click here.

5.24.2010

God at work, part three: woven together

on june 24, 2009, we helplessly watched the ultrasound screen at our appointment with the maternal-fetal specialist, as he explained to us all the abnormalities he was seeing in our son's body. 

and then, the news:  our son would die, most likely in utero.  maybe within days, maybe within weeks.  his chance of survival after birth was almost non-existent.

how could this have happened?  did God make some huge mistake when creating our son?

no relevant information could be found in any pregnancy book i owned.  so those books were put away and we turned to the scriptures for answers.

what we found was that jonathan was woven together by God exactly the way he was supposed to be and that his days were ordained long before he was conceived. (Psalm 139.) 

introducing:  woven together

For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother's womb.



I praise you because I am
fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.



My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place.



When I was woven together
in the depths of the earth,
your eyes saw my unformed body.



All the days ordained for me
were written in your book
before one of them came to be.


~ Psalm 139:13-16

woven together is the name of the ministry i am working on, which aims to honor pre-born babies who are purposefully created in such a way that they receive a devastating prenatal diagnosis, as well as to encourage mothers as they bravely choose life while facing eventual loss. 

each prenatally-diagnosed baby will receive a  personalized, embroidered preemie baby blanket, personally "woven together" by me.  the idea is not original or complex, obviously, but i think something that makes it extra special is that the name or monogram of each baby will be embroidered on the blanket.  i believe every mother who is facing or has experienced a loss understands the importance the child's name being remembered, and of a lasting personalized keepsake. 

for those mothers who experience an unexpected loss during or shortly after birth for any reason, my plan is to embroider the name or monogram of their babies onto a piece of fabric that can be used as a quilt square, a photo album cover, in a framed photo set or shadow box, the front of a pillow, or other keepsake project.  the possibilities are endless.  i've decided to make it a more "do it yourself" type of keepsake, because it allows for many keepsake ideas and possibilities, as well as the satisfaction of making something special for your child. 

i am truly honored to be able to offer encouragement to those mothers who are walking the same difficult road as i am, as well as to do something for others in memory of my precious son jonathan.  right now, i am prayerfully seeking the Lord's guidance on this ministry, and am expecting it to evolve somewhat as certain needs or requests come to light. 

eventually i'll post more details, contact info, etc. 

i would love to hear your thoughts or suggestions as well by way of a comment. :)

13 comments:

  1. I think this is a wonderful and precious idea! Those blankets and squares will be priceless to those families!!!!

    Lots of love!

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  2. Lauren
    I am always awed by your way with words. Your sweet Jonathan has touched so many lives. Your walk and Jonathan has touched mine.
    Your ministry is such a great idea and you get to use your talents. I know that each stitch will be covered in prayer.
    Praying you as you figure out all the details.

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  3. What a beautiful ministry Lauren! Beautiful! xxx

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  4. What a wonderful idea! I know many mothers will treasure such a gift.

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  5. This is awesome! Beautiful ministry name, beautiful ideas!! What you make in honor of these babies will be a precious gift to be treasured forever! :)

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  6. Lauren,
    There is a group local to me called Angel Layettes (angellayettes.com) who create beautiful little blankets, hats & gowns for babies who are lost at birth. Maybe you could pair up with them in this ministry? What a beautiful thing you're doing!

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  8. I love this idea my friend. Might I suggest there be some options for Mommies who never got a chance to name their baby? Maybe a simple embroidered picture or verse? Not sure what it looks like, but you know that it is near to my heart. Looking forward to seeing how God will use this opportunity for you to continue to bring Him glory!

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  9. Hi Lauren, I think your idea is such a special way to reach out to those precious moms and babies.

    I also wanted to let you know how much your blog has meant to me. My little boy was born last October with health issues that weren't discovered until his birth. He required a long surgery at 1 day old. Your journal entries have helped me get through the tough times since his birth. Thank you for the ministry that this journal has been.

    HF

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  10. What a wonderful idea. I love it!

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  11. Lauren, you are going to bless so many mom's and dad's throught this ministry! What a beautiful idea :-).

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  12. Praising God for giving you a vision and the creative skill to carry out your ministry. "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God." 2 Cor. 1:3-4

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