Like a Lily Among Thorns

On this date five years ago, September 5th, 2009, I sent an email to my dear friend Bex where I said this:

I am so incredibly thankful to have this documented forever. I remember knowing from early on that Lily was a girl and that her name was Lily, however it is special to have it written in words. 

At the time I wrote the email, I was still in my first trimester of pregnancy, too early for a doctor to tell me the gender of my unborn baby. I hadn't even had an ultrasound or doctor's appointment yet. But, I knew in my heart that my baby was a GIRL. It was as if God Himself whispered to me, "you are carrying a precious little girl and her name is Lily." The Lord showed me that my child was a gift and though she was conceived in sin, she was not a sin.

Bex was one of the first people to know about Lily and to hear her name. She wrote
Lily's name in the sand on her honeymoon in the US Virgin Islands last September. :)

I knew in my heart that the God of the Universe was knitting together a very special little girl, quietly hidden within my womb. I knew how special she was to Him. Jesus supernaturally intervened in my heart and life. He used her life to bring me back to Himself. Lily was the bridge between my Savior and I. She changed my heart, she changed the road I was walking on, she changed my future, she changed everything...rather, Jesus changed everything through her life. I treasure her name. To me, it is not simply a pretty name. The flower and name are so meaningful and significant to me.

Lily means purity and innocence. Also a symbol of beauty. The Lord was bringing beauty from ashes, light out of my darkness. He showed me that this precious life that grew within was a symbol of my renewed innocence and purity in Christ. In Him, I am washed whiter than snow (Isaiah 1:18). I am redeemed, because of His shed blood. He was giving me hope for her future, my future, and showing me that He had a plan and purpose for her precious life.

It amazes me to see how I knew from the start that my she was a she and that her name was Lily.

You can read more about the meaning and significance of Lily Katherine's name HERE.