This is Gabi’s favorite scripture and the picture is one she drew of herself as a demon huntress. Today, I would like to share on my daughter. I’ve titled it “Elena”, which is one of her middle names….she has two…..because of the meaning, which is: Shining light, bright one, illuminated one. She certainly lights up the room when she walks in.
My beautiful girl was a promise from the Lord. I had two sons and dearly wanted a daughter. The Lord told me He would give me a daughter once I quit smoking, which came by Him delivering me from cigarettes. (Please see my post titled “SOZO”.) Once I found out I was pregnant, I was compelled by the Spirit to pray over my baby…..Psalm 139, sometimes several times a day. This went on throughout the pregnancy and I used to sometimes think, “Again Lord?” I found out why.
On March 6, 1997 I was at my weekly Obstetric appointment. As the doctor checked me, I heard her say, “Oops.” I was bleeding. She sent me up to the hospital and they hooked us up to see if labor would start. It didn’t and I was still bleeding so they induced me and at 1810 (6:10 PM), Gabriela Elena Belen was born. The reason I was bleeding was that the pregnancy was partial placenta previa, which is a condition of the placenta partially covering the cervix. It isn’t common and could cause serious complications for mom and baby. The placenta was also in pieces with the umbilical cord all in amongst it. Now I knew why the Lord had me pray over Gabi every day. He keeps His promises. She rated a 10 on the APGAR test twice! Which is perfect! Praise Jesus!
From day one, my daughter has been a delight. When she was a little teeny girl, I loved to watch Joyce Meyers and as soon I would turn the TV on, she would run around getting her mini Gideon’s Bible, her notebook, pen, her sippy cup and park herself next to me on the floor to listen and take “notes”. When she was four, she used to go in the basement with her friend, Alyssia and they would make up and sing worship songs.
Another time when she was four she went to the private school in our church. I used to go to Women’s Bible Study Group on Tuesday morning at the other end of the building. One of the women’s cars caught on fire and they evacuated the children and us. I went to find Gabi because I knew she’d be worried and was holding her as the firemen put the car out. That night she wanted to make cookies to give to the firemen that saved her mommy. We baked and the next day, I’ll never forget this image, (My husband calls them snapshots.) we went to the Fire Department where this over six foot man and this little teeny girl stood looking at each other and she told him, “I made you cookies.” She gave him the cookies and he ran over to his fire engine and brought her back a little teddy bear that she still has.
She has grown into an amazing Godwoman, and at 17, has incredible spiritual discernment and is an awesome expression of Christ in her. She is gentle and kind, smart, beautiful, creative, feisty, faithful, giving, long-suffering, forgiving, peaceful, good, pure and funny!
One day she came downstairs and told us, “I know what’s wrong with my bed now! It’s right here in the Bible! Look! Right here in Isaiah 28:20 For the bed is too short to stretch out on, And the covering so narrow that one cannot wrap himself in it.” Gabi is long and lean and was telling us she didn’t fit the bed!
She is an awesome prayer warrior. If we need prayer for headaches or anything, she lays those soft, anointed hands on us, prays and we are healed straight away. Our friend’s dog had gotten into the rat poison and was dying. Gabi layed hands on him and prayed and he was healed in that instant! Praise Jesus!
She loves people of all ages, especially children and is very good at ministering to them. She has the ability to see the heart and not let outward expressions from them, acting out for example, sway her actions toward them. She is very wise and though she doesn’t talk much, when she does, what she is saying is important and it is a good thing to stop and listen to her.
She stands up for those that others are picking on and she doesn’t tolerate meanness. She listens for her Beloved’s voice and does what He says.
She told about doing a Jesus thing at school Monday. She stayed at the school for lunch rather than going out to save money. She was headed to the lunch room when the Lord told her not there. She turned and went to the lobby and there was a new girl there all alone so she asked if she could sit with her. The girl said yes and poured out her heart to Gabi. Gabi bought her lunch as she didn’t have money to eat, then afterwards took her to a thrift shop next to the school and bought her a dress. I don’t know who was more blessed, Gabi or her new friend!
Let me tell you what Gabi’s names mean: Gabriela> God’s able-bodied one; Elena> Shining light, bright one, illuminated one; Belen> Bethlehem. They suit her.
Since Gabi was born, I have prayed these scriptures over her, paraphrased and I pray them for you now Beloved ones: And this I pray, that your love would abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment. That you would approve the things that are excellent in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ. I pray that the eyes of your heart would be enlightened and that you would know the hope of your calling in Christ Jesus. That you would know how long, how wide, how high, how deep His love is for you , that you would walk in the fullness of the Christ in you, and that you would be filled to all the fullness of life and power that comes from God and that He will give you mighty inner strength through His Holy Spirit. I pray that Christ will be more and more at home in your hearts as you trust in Him. May your roots go down deep into the soil of God’s marvelous love. Amen!
Psalm 115:1a Not to us, O Lord, not to us but to You be the glory because of Your unfailing love and faithfulness.