He Works Everything for the Good Part 5

I will Praise You……….

I have known since I was a kid that God is a miracle worker but I never stopped to realize that He is STILL in the business of granting miracles. I left my childhood home with an unexpected gift. I walked away with a sense of calm and understanding. Even more importantly, I walked away with peace in the loss of Peighton. God healed my heart and very soul that day. He orchestrated the event that I needed to be free from the darkness that had overtaken me.

I returned to Texas and my very blessed life. I still felt waves of sadness but they were different. They were no longer the dark places pulling me in a downward spiral, they were the normal waves of emotions that go along with loss.

During the three months that we were encouraged to let my body heal, my husband and I discussed the option of trying to get pregnant again. My husband was super hesitant after watching me go through the whole ordeal. In the end he and I decided to try and have another child.

My friends, I only had one partial ovary, was diagnosed with endometriosis, and told I would probably never get pregnant. But, God! We became pregnant the very month we were released to try again. I still stand amazed at God’s power and blessings!

This pregnancy was also considered high risk. This time we followed the doctor’s advice and did not share with many people that I was pregnant again. My brother in law was still living with us and we did not tell him either. He had a pretty good hint of my situation one morning when we were leaving and I dropped my bags to run to the restroom due to morning sickness. A few mornings later he decided to heat some leftovers in the microwave for our morning commute. I was driving when he opened the lid. It was the worst smell I have ever encountered. Even though I was driving down a highway, I pulled over immediately and told him to get rid of it! He did not say anything but the gig was certainly up! He was more than willing to throw away his precious leftovers when the realization hit him. The joy in his eyes also showed me how happy he was for us.

After the first trimester we started sharing with immediate family. During the second trimester I started having issues so we had to tell a few more people than we had planned. My blood pressure was high and the doctor was concerned. I was put on partial bed rest around the seventh month mark. For those of you who know me well, that was extremely difficult for me. I was still permitted to get up and do little things for short periods of time but was to be off of my feet as much as possible. That did not last long. To my dismay I was put on full bed rest at about the eighth month mark. I was miserable. But, I was pregnant with our second miracle baby and willing to do whatever it took to keep the baby safe.

I did not want to know the gender of the baby. I was however convinced that I was having a baby girl. We had not bought a single thing for the baby up to this point but I did decide to buy a couple cute little dresses! I later learned that my husband could not wait and had gotten the gender from the doctor!

Toward the end of the eighth month I was in bad shape. My blood pressure remained high no matter what I tried to do to control it. We were going to the doctor every week at this point. We were told the baby would most likely be coming early.

It was the fourth of July weekend when I woke up to some whopper contractions. The baby was not due until late August but after a quick call to the after hours number, off to the hospital we went.

When I got there my blood pressure was very high and I had a bad headache. The baby was fine but I was on the decline. My body was not holding up well. Looking back, I do not know why on earth I chose to have a natural birth, but I did! After the longest twenty-six hours of my life, the doctor decided I needed a c-section. I was instantly taken back to the loss of Peighton and panic struck. I did not want to lose this baby too. To my relief, I was prepped and in the process of having the procedure in a very short amount of time.

To our delight, our baby boy was born! He was premature but he was alive and doing very well for being born that early. We had some obstacles to overcome over the next several weeks but we tackled them all with joy because we understood the significance of his birth.

A few weeks after his birth, he was asleep in his crib. As I was watching him, he awoke and made eye contact with me for the first time. It was a connection I will never forget. The look on his beautiful face as he truly saw me for the first time was unforgettable. My heart was so full I thought it might burst.

My friends, please don’t miss this! That moment was so very sweet because of all that I had been through to get to that point. If I had not been in the valley on more than one occasion, that mountain top would not have been nearly as beautiful. Even worse, I may have taken that moment for granted and missed the blessing all together.

When the world and modern medicine told me to brace myself for a life without children, God had other plans. God orchestrated a miracle in my womb. Twenty-one years later that miracle is still not lost on me and my heart.

I praise my Heavenly Father for being with me in the good and bad times. I praise Him for using what was meant for evil for my good. I praise my Heavenly Father for being with me when I had a critical surgery while in high school, I praise Him for being with me as I lost my first child, I praise Him for being with me as I confronted my father, and I praise Him for blessing me with a beautiful baby boy. God is good….all the time….. and I will praise Him.

My dear friend, what do you need to praise Him for that you have taken for granted in the past? He deserves our praise because He made each of us wonderfully unique and beautiful. I pray you know that deep within your very soul and remember it when you are thrust into the valley.