Let Me Tell You a Story....

This is a special story of a precious gift of friendship the Lord has given to our family. It started many years ago when David was a young man.  As a teen, he came to know the Lord as his Savior. During that time, he was looking to make changes and build new relationships that would encourage him in his walk with Jesus.  He had dropped out of high school but chose to go back after two years to get his diploma. During this time he met a friend that invited him to a bible study, prayed with him, and even journeyed with him to bible college after they both graduated high school. After some time together there, they parted ways, following the Lord in new directions through career, ministry, marriage, and family. 

David and Brian...

 



While this great friendship encouraged David in his teenage years, he and Brian lost touch over time. Once, as newlyweds, we travelled to New Hampshire for a visit during Christmas time. Brian and his new bride were also there visiting family.  We were able to get together for a quick visit, Tracy and Sara meeting for the first time, and thinking it a neat coincidence that our wedding dates fell only a month apart. Little did we know how the Lord was simply continuing to work out a plan that would tie our families together for a lifetime.

Tracy and Sara...

More years passed. Each family was busy learning, growing, and serving the Lord in various ways. We never thought to keep in touch, though Brian kept a special place in our hearts as a strong mentor and role-model for David during his youth. Because of that, we chose to give our first born son the middle name of Bryan.  We long for our son to have such a godly role model to carry with him his whole life. We never thought our son would really meet his namesake, but we would be happy to pass along the story to him as he grew older.  However, the Lord continued to work and unfold His plans as time moved on.  Just two months after Joshua Bryan was born, we found ourselves on a cross-country trek relocating our family from Minnesota to New Hampshire.  A few short weeks after settling in we were delighted to learn the Lord had also moved Brian, Sara, and their own little family to New Hampshire as well. In fact, we now lived within 5 miles of each other!!

 

We quickly made plans to get together once again. This time, excited to share the children the Lord had blessed us with.  Imagine our surprise to learn that our oldest children were born only a day apart and our wee little babes had only a week difference in birthdays. What a neat way for the Lord to draw us closer together.

First Borns...



Second Borns...

 

This began a beautiful new friendship between Sara and Tracy and, later, the children as they grew and were added to the family. In fact, not only did both of our families grow together, they grew together in almost perfect synchronization!  Shortly after Joshua turned one year old, we learned we were expecting another baby. Sadly, just a few weeks later, Tracy miscarried.  Within a few weeks' time, Sara was also expecting a new little baby, yet also had to say good-bye too soon. We cried with each other while we prayed for each other's hearts to heal.  Again, the Lord continued to knit our hearts and families close as our third born children came along within 4 months of each other, our largest gap that far.

 

Third Borns...

 

Life continued on and changes kept coming. Our family relocated further away. Their family built a new home. We stayed in touch. Our visits were fewer but sweeter. :)  One special day I phoned Sara to let her know I had just passed that little test telling us another baby was on the way for our family. She giggled and said that now there was no need for her to test because if *I* was pregnant, then certainly she must be as well. And she was!! In fact, this time we were due the very.same.day. :)  Not only did we share this pregnancy, but we also shared a midwife this time as we chose to have this little baby at home.  What a special time that was in our family and in our friendship.  Just a few days before the arrival of Ruth, Sara invited me to be at the birth of their fourth-born child. Such a special gift she gave to me. I'll be forever grateful that we could share that together.

 

Fourth borns...

 

While we treasured these amazing ways the Lord continued to knit our families together, we also followed the Lord in different directions. Our family continued to relocate to new homes around the state. Their family stayed put until the Lord called them to the mission field in the country of Honduras! We prayed and worked to keep in touch while we each worked to serve the Lord faithfully.  What surprised us was when the Lord decided to give three more babies to the Menard family while Brian and Sara and their family were busy traveling and serving those He loves in Central America.  Our mission fields changed a bit, but we worked to continue praying each other on in the journey.

 

When Brian and Sara's family arrived home at the end of their years in the field, I was excited to have my dear friend back to lean on during another new pregnancy. Can you imagine my delight to learn that she also was expecting??!! We were thrilled to share babies yet again. :)  This time, our little ones were born almost 5 months apart and for the first time, they were the same gender!

 

Our little girlies (missing Baby Kindy)...

 

We continue to see changes transpire in both of our families. The Menards keep relocating and adding babies. We're sometimes hard to keep track of. Through it all, though, I've treasured the rock I have in my friendship with Sara. We've laughed, prayed, cried, worked, and shared so much of our lives together. In many ways, I feel like we've raised our children together.  Watching them grow, change, and become such amazing young people has been a gift I would never have thought to ask for. Yet, the Lord has been working it into our lives from the start. 

 

This fall, our first-borns turn 15 years old.  So many years we have snuggled babies together, shared dress ups and tea parties, poured over curriculum, crafted, cooked, baked, gardened, shared our talents and learned so many lessons of patience and faith.  Something waxes nostalgic in me as I watch the colors change and fade this fall season. I see our children all growing and blossoming into these beautiful people that love the Lord. It's an amazing thing to watch a person grow from the beginning all the way to where they are that moment. I'm especially blessed to be able to see it happen twice.

 

The Ties that Bind us Together....