Ashley's Story

The whole story is a treasure that I hold deep inside of my heart. Dave and I guard it carefully and share it so rarely. Its beautiful and when I feel the prompting of the Father to share it I myself gets chills as I recall the AMAZING things He has done in her life. Very few people have learned of it. Some people who work in the hospitals in our town think they know, but the pieces they were present for are such a small part of the whole. They really have no idea who she is and how she came to be.

Tonight I shared. Not sure why, but it came tumbling out of me. The funny thing is that as I sit here and ponder the details of it inside of my own heart I find that I am the one who was blessed by the telling of it. To rehearse the events of those early days gives me chills and reminds just how BIG God truly is. How exciting it is to be allowed to be a part of Ashley's story.

I have no idea if I will ever feel the prompting of God to make her story public. The portions that have been recorded in this journal are such a small part of the whole. Perhaps someday He will grant me the peace, the courage, and the opportunity to tell it. If not, then I am content to have it recorded in my own memory and in my own heart so that I may share it with my daughter. Maybe she will be the one to make it public?

Anyway, as I held this miracle close to my chest tonight I concentrated on the beat of our hearts. How amazing it was to feel them both beating together. Not because we are able to make them beat, but because the One who created us both and gave us to each other was orchestrating them. It was one of the most beautiful moments of my life. Almost musical. Oh, how I love this child! Holding her close to me for the first time in more than 5 weeks brought such healing to my heart. She relaxed upon me and closed her eyes, but still patted this mommy's shoulder with her tiny hands. Just letting me know that she loves me just as much as I love her.

God has been so incredibly good to me. Goodnight my friends. Trish

P.S. Ashley Kate is off of all oxygen support and breathing comfortably on her own! That makes me smile.