Lily Anne Has Arrived!

“And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” (Matthew 6:28-33, ESV) 

On July 11, 2024, Lily Anne Wente was born at 11:29 a.m. She weighed 8 lbs 2 oz and measures 21.5 inches long. 

Exactly one year ago, my little family found itself in a moment of crisis. Sam’s job came to an end at the church in North Carolina. For months, he was scouring job boards looking for a new pastoral job while delivering pizzas to help supplement our income. Church job searches are a long, drawn out process, and most require you to appear at the church and guest preach so the congregation can meet you, your family, and get an idea of how you would shepherd the church.

In these sorts of hiring processes, we have gone a few different places and most have proven to be dead ends. In September, we visited Arizona to see a church in Phoenix, and came home disappointed. Shortly after, our family was watching a movie on a Saturday morning when our dog suddenly came up to me and very seriously placed his paw over my heart. Something about his look made me think, “I better go take a pregnancy test.”

So, with Sam and Piper in tow, we all stood around the bathroom counter, counted to three, and stared down at a little plus sign. Sam and I looked at each other with jaws dropped. 

Another baby. A blessing, indeed, but a very concerning time to expand our family. When Sam and I need to work through something or talk something out, we go on a walk. So our family loaded up on  leash and in stroller and we talked about what we were going to do practically and what we needed to pray for in light of this new child. 

Fast forward about three months later, and Sam had found a job… in Oregon. I was pregnant, planning on packing up our house in the Carolinas and getting ready to move our family across the country. I was preparing to become a mother to two babies and take on that big transition. I was struggling with the thought of being farther from our friends and family in New York than we’d ever imagined being. Sam and I knew we were making the right decision in taking on this new church, but there was a lot of stress and worry over all the things that would have to change to do it. 

On my 30th birthday, Sam turned to me and said, “I have a name idea, but it’s for a girl.” At the time, we didn’t know what we were having, but I knew Sam was holding out hope for a boy. “It’s a biblical name of sorts, and I think it really applies to this time in our lives we’re going through now.”

“Okay,” I replied, “Tell me.”

He went on to quote Matthew 6, the verses that are included in today’s devotion. About how we are to be anxious about nothing, because if God feeds the birds, clothes the fields, and considers the lilies, how much more will He take care of us.

Consider the lilies. Lily. It was perfect.

And Sam was right. It spoke a little testimony right into the middle of the whirlwind we were going through. Why should we worry? There were many things that were unknown. How would we get medical insurance with maternity coverage in another state halfway through a pregnancy? Where would we live? Who would be the village that would help us with two kids under two? Would we be comfortable living in Oregon? Would we be able to handle the church and serve its needs? Would we be happy? 

But we just kept coming back to the fact that it was clear that this was where God wanted us to be. This was the church He was giving for us to serve in. And all the while, God knew what we’d need. He knew we’d need adequate and affordable healthcare coverage. He knew we’d need a house. A village. A job for Sam.

So who were we to worry? We were stepping out in faith to follow the will of the Lord and be where He asked us to serve. We needed to also believe by faith that He would provide all the necessary things we needed in order to carry that out. And in the middle of all our uncertainty through this whole year-long journey to where we are now, God gave us a little Lily to consider and help us remember to trust in the Lord and lay down our worries.

To me, our Piper girl is pure joy from the Lord. Her name signifies that to us and it was so fitting for who God is revealing her to be. Our Lily is a constant reminder of God’s peace. Although, it has occurred to me that in her growing up, He may surprise me with how His peace is displayed. That remains to be seen but will be a blessing altogether to witness.

Lily’s birth was far from peaceful, that’s for sure. After about 20 hours of labor, one epidural that didn’t measure up to the final hours of contractions, and about 20 minutes of actual pushing, it felt like nothing short of a miracle to hold that little baby in our arms. 

So it is my prayer that today and for the rest of her life, my little Lily could also be a reminder to you and everyone she meets of God’s goodness to us. He holds everything in His hands and He provides for His people. If He can flawlessly and harmoniously hold all of nature and its needs in His hands, how much more capable is He to meet ours? Who are we to worry about anything?

***

Because I would like to take some time to be in this moment with my family, I am going to be taking a break for the next month. Please pray for us as we find a new balance as a family of four.

I would, however, like to send you, the readers, a gift as a special thank you for faithfully reading and connecting with me over the years. Soul Deep Devotions was launched in August 2017, and we are coming up on 7 years of opening God’s word and studying together. If you are interested in a small gift as a special thank you for reading along all this time, you can reply to this email or complete the contact form on our website with your mailing address, and I’d be happy to send it to you!

I look forward to returning August 13, with a prayerful and new perspective, passion, and devotion. Until then, thank you for reading and celebrating Lily’s arrival with me!