From the day of our 20 week ultrasound, we knew this journey was going to be difficult.  Our amazing, beautiful, incredibly awesome baby girl, whom we had prayed for more than five years was about to breathe the air of this world for the first time.  During that forever life-altering ultrasound visit, which was really only supposed to tell us what the color of balloons to have at our gender reveal party, forever changed me.  Forever changed us.  When life turns sideways.

On June 26, 2013, we were given news that our sweet Miss Georgia was going to be born with a moderately impaired cleft lip, cleft palate and it would also effect the nose.  Looking back on this day, I am reminded of how quickly the world can get dark.  Cold.  The feelings of unfairness, comparison, and discontentment can quickly move in to demand your every thought, every word and your every fear.  When life turns sideways.

The concern with clefts is not just on the exterior, but while in the womb, it may be difficult to tell if the major internal organs are also effected.  Many times, I am unsure of the statistics, when a child has a cleft it is an exterior deformity that has some major challenges within their body.  At our 20 week ultrasound, our physician team was unclear of the road we were facing.  They immediately scheduled a visit with the high risk team at UT Medical Center to take some 3D ultrasound views and more intimately look at each organ with some of the best physicians in the country in high risk deliveries of God’s gift to mankind.  During this time, the highly experience team agreed that Miss Georgia’s cleft was only facial.  And for that, we are still on our knees giving thanks.

But then the roller coaster began.  Could God heal our baby girl before she was born?  Yes, He always could…. He created her.  Would God heal our baby girl before she was born?  Only delivery would tell.  And if healing did not take place, what did that say about our God?  Or better yet, what would that say about me?  When life turns sideways.

As many of you know, healing did not take place within the womb.  Our precious baby girl was born with the most incredibly beautiful face, which also had a moderate cleft lip, cleft palate and they both effected the nose and gum line.  But we loved it.  We loved that little face so very much.  The sassiness that came out in a newborn child is unparalleled.  And the love that one person could feel for someone unregistered before.  We loved her little face so much that before her first surgery (at two months old), we were kind of sad to see the sweet little lip be closed up.  We had truly grown to love every single kiss from those little lips!

When life goes sideways.  What do we do?  Does it change who our God is?  Does it change us?

Today, we are embarking on our third surgery.  The second surgery was the largest one today date in that it completely rebuilt the her palate so that she could eat “normal”.  This surgery, while just a one day, outpatient surgery to repair her nasal cavity, building up the walls of her nose and trimming down the excess skin from her lip, is the first she knows about.

Before now, she did not realize she had a cleft lip or cleft palate when she was born.  She did not realize that she was different than anyone else.  Before this month, she in her three year old mind had never known surgery or hospitals.  She only knew fun!  Life has now gone sideways.

If you know Miss Georgia, you know that her smile is radiant.  Her sparkle is contagious.  Her joy is unparalleled and her love is big!  She understands.  She feels.  She grasps far more than a three year old should.

Today, we ask that our friends and family will intercede in prayer for our family today as my daughter, for the first time, becomes aware of pain through surgery.  We ask that you will intercede on our family’s behalf that the enemy, who desires to steal, kill and destroy, has no power over the physicians, nurses, surgeon and hospital where we will be.  We ask that you join us in praying for Miss Georgia’s beautiful purpose to be completely fulfilled and that through this experience she falls more and more in love with our Saviour.  We thank you for all of your love and support!

Today is a big day for our home.  And we pray that today our Father is glorified above all else.