While a new life is definitely a miracle, that isn't what my title was referring to. Our miracle (also referred to as PART ONE) from our One True God in the Highest started back in August of 2009 (yes, 9 months before May 4th...).
Dh and I were very happy with our three girls, ages 1, 3, and 5 and had decided all on our OWN to hold off on having any more children. We wanted at least a three year break instead of the two years in between our girls. Well, we should have realized then that we were missing a step... We forgot to ask God for His take on all this. Do you know what Christian means? It's a person who follows the religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. Now how on earth can we call ourselves Christians if we're not actually willing to follow Him? It was at this, one of our lower points, that God started a great work on us... we found out we were having our fourth child. The miracle at this point was that we were using birth control... doctors would say that I just happen to fall in the 1% that conceives while using bc - but we know better.
Can you imagine? You and your husband sit down and logically discuss an important change in your lives and you come to an amiable decision. And then you're both turned out on your backsides. Not only was your decision the wrong one, but you didn't even ask the One who REALLY makes the decisions. Yes, we have free will - but as Christians, we gave God our word that we would ask Him first... and we failed. And did it ever draw us closer to God.
Here comes PART TWO - my husband separated from the Air Force. About half a year before his separation date, he was putting resumes out and talking to job scouts. Everything looked very good for us. And then things started looking not so good. Most of the offers he received were for jobs that payed less than his current job and would not support our mortgage. So he kept putting the resumes out and calling people and going to job fairs... and a big. fat. zip.
About the time we realized that we may be homeless soon, we found out we were pregnant (remember, the kick in the behind?)... and the soul-seeking that God had us doing over that made us understand that we weren't trusting Him with this either. Back to the drawing board, people. We whole-heartedly put our faith in God (even though we DID have to keep giving each other reminders) and played the waiting game. Right down to the wire, just mere weeks before his separation date, dh snags the eye of a great company. Of course, that wasn't the end... they had to go through all sorts of hoops before actually telling him that he was hired. But it was okay. Because we have Jehovah Jireh (the Lord who provides).
*cue the uplifting happy music*
Then we got MORE good news - God had given us a BOY. After three girls, you have no idea how good that news was to hear. Not that we don't appreciate our girls, but your start wondering what a boy would look like after a while.
Would you like to know which name means God's gift? Nathaniel.
Would you like to know which name we had picked out back in 2006? Nathaniel.
We were happily surprised to still see God's hand at work. And we thanked Him again for being in our lives.
Which leads us on down to PART THREE - the birth. Don't worry, I'm not going to talk about ALL the details. Unless the word placenta makes you nauseous. = ) For starters, my resolve to not use any drugs for the delivery was severely tested when the labor got up to 36 hours. WHAT? Yes, 36 hours. You heard me right. Boys are so ornery, aren't they? He was over a week early and buddy was I ready... Once he figured out where the light was, he came out in one contraction, with a push for the head and another for his body. He actually shot right out and the doc had to catch him. If I had known that was going to happen, I *might* have conceded to a video camera. = )
Here's the interesting part... ever seen a placenta? Me either, three weeks ago. I had never wanted to see one and I can only assume that God wanted us to see it... because I don't think I would have asked otherwise. So I asked the doc if I could have a look and he brings it over. He shows me the backside, the part that attaches to the uterus (me) and it looks like a pink pancake. Alright, no big deal. Then he turns it over and says "And this is the part that the baby is in" *pulls up thin membrane pocket thing* "Oh my word."
Is that really something you want a doctor to say?
Apparently, this is what a placenta is supposed to look like (don't throw up).
And this is kind of what my son's placenta looked like.
Then we got the pants scared off of us - over half of the babies in a placenta with this abnormality (that is not discovered) are stillborn. IF the small veins running to the cord through the membranes had not been adequate, our son would have not developed properly, if at all. IF the cord had been pressed between his head and the birth canal, he would have been deprived of oxygen and died (Thank the LORD that his head didn't engage until the VERY SECOND I pushed). IF the placenta had ruptured closer to the cord than what it did... you get the idea. God meant for our son to be born. We were awed and amazed and completely struck with wonder that God would grace us with another miracle.
He is truly God's gift and we were fools to ever think we could decide the time he was to be born. God has truly drawn us closer to Him and I can lastingly say - lesson learned.
