With Arms Wide Open

I was at the gym today and a song came on my random shuffle that I’ve not heard in years: “With Arms Wide Open by Creed.” It took me back to a time when I was barely 20 and newly pregnant with my first born-Joe Mack. It was early fall in 2001 and Joe had just left on a deployment. I found out I was pregnant right after he left. (Literally two weeks later!)

I remember being so nervous to tell Joe, and really not knowing how to tell him?! This was before Facebook and Skype. Back then we only had email. So I sent Joe a message telling him to call me ASAP, that I was not hurt, but needing to speak with him as soon as he could get to a phone. Within two hours he called and had already guessed I was pregnant! He was so excited, but we both cried a little on the phone knowing he would miss my pregnancy and possibly miss the birth of our first child.

A week later Joe emailed me and said he had been listening to Creed the night before. He said that “With Arms Wide Open” had come on. Joe went to explain how afraid he was to become a father so young (we were only 20), but that he was going to give everything he had and more to that little baby. He also let me know that he felt it was going to be a boy and that this boy would be just like him. (of course)

For the rest of the deployment I listened to that song every day as well as sing it to my little unborn baby. I was ready to give this amazing blessing everything the world had to offer. The day I found out if the baby was a boy or a girl, Joe was able to be on the phone with me. As soon as the wand touched my belly-there was no denying this baby was a boy. The happiness in my husband’s voice as well as being able to share this first time experience (even via phone) was amazing. Joe promised me that he did not care what he had to do, or what hoops he had to jump through, he was not going to miss the birth of his son.

And sure enough, 4 weeks before Joe Mack was born-my husband was able to come home. When he left I was a size 2 and when he came back I was eight months pregnant!

It is so hard to believe that was ten years ago! Now we have three kids! And Joe has been present for all of their births! Watching each of them grow into their personalities and listening to their ideas about the world and life is the best gift God could have ever given me. Most of you know that I had quite the health scare over the past few months. Joe and the kids almost lost me in July, but by the grace of the good lord above-God decided my time on Earth was not over yet. Listening to that song today reminds me how precious life can be. I look at my three children and love them more than life itself. I will be forever grateful to God for looking out for me and allowing me to regain my health so I can watch my babies grow up. I will always be there to help show them the world and teach them right from wrong. I will always be there for broken hearts and disappointments. I will always be my children’s biggest cheerleader. I will forever be their mother no matter how old they get-with arms wide open.