Thursday, January 12, 2006

Testimony Time

I was reading a post on another blog about the miracle God had performed on a mother and her unborn child. It is actually from the blog name "Exqsme". You can click on the highlighted name under comments on the post below this one and read it for yourself. If you need encouragement, I highly recommend reading it.

Anyway, in reading this post it prompted the memory of what my husband and I experienced when we were expecting Daniel. I feel it is good and encouraging to remember what God has done in the past. He deserves the continual praise and it helps give us faith for our current plights. (I believe this is scriptural, isn't it?) So I felt I should share the story of Daniel.

Sixteen years ago now when I was expecting Daniel I went to the Dr. for some standard tests. When the tests came back, however, the Dr. had some somber news for my husband and me. He told me that our unborn child tested positive for spinabifida (sp?). I didn't know what that meant so I asked the Dr. to explain. He said, "It is when a part of the spinal column forms outside the body. It results in deformation, paralysis and many times brain damage. The life span is typically short as well even if the child makes it to term." Very bleak news for first time parents who had already experienced one miscarraige. I asked the Dr. if there were any prenatal surgeries available to correct the problem. I had read about advancements in this area and was willing to go anywhere necessary to get the care my child needed. The Dr. told me that while prenatal surgery had made advancements, there had been no surgeries developed for this particular malady. I then asked, "Then what are my options?" The Dr. indicated that abortion was the only alternative. At that I responded rather matter-of-factly, "Then don't bother wasting the time and money on tests because I'm not having an abortion. My God can take of the situation but if he chooses not to heal, then He'll give us the grace to care for the child."

I'm not going to tell you I had no apprehensions. I had managed a group home for mentally challenged adults and was a case worker for the chronically mentally ill at that current time. I knew the challenges that we faced ahead and was well aware that I couldn't do it without God's help if He chose to bless us with a child of special needs. It wasn't what we had planned, but God has perfect wisdom so we waited what seemed an eternity for the child's arrival. I continued to do all I knew to do to have a healthy child, but knew that ultimately it was up to God.

When I was about five days overdue and as big as a Mac truck I stopped feeling the baby move. I went into panic. He had been so active throughout the pregnancy that I was very concerned something terrible was happening. I went to the hospital, tests showed he was fine. He was just too big to move! I went into labor on that following Friday and about 35 hours later on a Sunday morning, the Dr.came in and checked me again. He said he had some place to go but when he got back we would need to talk about what we needed to do. I said,"Whatever you gotta do just do it!" He smiled and left. He returned that afternoon and had me prepped for a Caesarean section.

When they opened me up they discovered the problem. The baby was too big to pass through the birth canal! Thank God! The Dr. also discovered that the cord was wrapped around the baby's neck a couple of times and had I delivered normally the cord would have tighted around his neck. There would not have been enough leaway or room for the Dr. to remove the cord in time and he would have died at birth!

That baby was 21.5 inches long and weighed almost 9lbs. Good size for a mother who only reaches 5 feet if she stretches!

Today that would-be mentally and physically challenged child plays in extra curricular sports, participates in marching band and is currently taking AP Calculus (as a sophomore)! This child has accepted Christ as his Lord and Saviour and has been Baptized in the Holy Spirit as well. I can't tell you the thrill it is to watch Him lifting his hands and praising God, laying hands on others in prayer, witnessing to his peers and teachers and being generally involved in ministry!

When God does something, He doesn't do it half-way! Isn't God awesome!

God has done so many miraculous things in my life it would take forever to list them all at once but I just wanted to praise Him one more time.

Want do you need to praise Him for?

3 comments:

Unknown said...

Praise God Libby!!! your story encouraged me ,gives me hope for my dad !!! What an AWESOME GOD WE serve !!!


Amy

Anonymous said...

Thank you for your Testimony Libby, it is encouraging to remember that God's promises FOLLOW THROUGH. He completes what He begins, He is the Author and the Finisher of our faith! And it is important to always remember what GOd has done for us. I like His name too.. I really believe in the power of names.. Daniel.. God is my judge... and God did Judge... God is the judge of how your son was born and he chose life, and that life more abundantly.

It's amazing to look back on the fires we walk through. Praise God we walked THROUGH them!

anyway I loved the testimony, and it is encouraging for me to know that what God has begun He will complete. I can't wait to see my healthy little boy!

Libby said...

I hope there is an opportunity for me to meet your new little miracle as well.