Awaiting a Child is a Joyful Experience

By Ty Salvant

“Joyfully waiting” has multiple meanings in our house this Advent.

While the Salvants are anxiously awaiting the birth of Jesus, we are also awaiting the birth of our sixth child around Dec. 21.

Clothes are being washed, rooms cleaned, and baby gear assembled amongst a myriad of questions: When is she arriving? Who will she look like? Will there be any complications? Will we get a room with a tub for our desired water birth? What will we name her?

With close friends and family, I share my hopeful due date with my rationale, but in the end, I know that her birth date is completely out of my hands.

There are so many unanswered questions, so much faith required to not spend the rest of the pregnancy worried about things out of our control.

There have been several conversations on God’s timing over the past few weeks, with more to come – I am sure – in the near future.

During our baby shower (yes, we had one, as every child deserves to be honored and celebrated), we had guests write prayers for the baby.

Each day of this Advent season, in addition to our usual Advent calendar activities, we’ll take turns reading a prayer from our friends and family for our daughter.