The miracle of Allison

We worship a God who works wonders (Psalm 77:14). Works. Present tense. And we can be fully assured that He is a God who never changes. Malachi 3:6 says, "I am the Lord, and I do not change." Therefore, if we fail to see wonders/miracles today, has He changed from who HE is? Or is it something else?

I've been learning in a Beth Moore study about this aspect of our faith life. It is her belief through evaluating scriptures that even though we may be in an era that is "seeing" less miracles, that doesn't mean that they do not or will not occur. As children of God, we are welcome to request anything in His name. That doesn't guarantee He will do what we ask, but we have the privilege to do so. Sometimes, the Lord in His gracious sovereignty allows the miracles to be internal rather than external. I can testify to that personally, because even though He chose not to heal my husband on earth, I have received a greater miracle of an irreplaceable closeness with Him. He has developed new, amazing things within me because of the suffering that I went through.

Sometimes, miracles occur that we didn't ask for; that we may not even recognize at the time. Allison, I believe is a miracle. She was God's from the start, without my knowledge or control.

When I was 34 weeks pregnant, my water broke. I was about 90% sure this was so, however NO practitioner would agree with me. 48 hours later, I went into premature labor. We went to the hospital and I was given medication and sent home. Between 34 and 36 weeks, I went in and out of labor, and went to the OB repeatedly because I was sure something wasn't quite right. No physician saw any cause for concern. On the contrary, I think they were probably tired of me!
At my 36 week check up, I really pressed the issue with my midwife. She decided to do a quick, simple test to check for any amniotic fluid. At this point, she was just humoring me.

She came back in and said it was time to have a baby! Indeed, my water was broken. "How long has it been that way?" she asked. "Oh, about 2 weeks," I replied.

"TWO weeks?!" That is no good in the OB world. In fact, most doctors will not let you go past 48 hours with broken water due to an increased risk of infection for both mother and baby.

I was immediately induced and had Allison about 8 hours later. She wasn't able to breathe properly and was escorted to Children's NICU for 10 days.

Now, there is a miracle here that I didn't see at first. In fact, I was pretty devastated. But His hand is oh so evident.

Had Allison been born at 34 weeks, there is no telling how long her stay in the NICU would have been. She may have had many complications from being so premature, and that extra two week stay in the womb allowed her to gain ~2 lb. (She was 5 lb. vs 3 lb.) Each day in the womb for a preemie equals about a week's stay or more in the NICU. Despite my constant appointments and concerns, not ONE doctor did that amniotic fluid test. Had they, I would have been induced at that time and Allison could've been at greater risk.

The fact that neither she nor I suffered any consequences from a 2 week exposure to infection is a miracle in itself. The womb is designed to be a nearly sterile place. The amniotic sac keeps harmful bacteria from entering the womb and growing there. This scenario alone should have caused issues. In fact, most health professionals in this field are very impressed that no infection occurred during that period. This is a mark of the hand of God.

So despite all the ways things could have worked out otherwise, and while I was completely in the dark of what was really going on, my God was in control. He was working all things together for my good and for Allison's good as well. He could have allowed suffering in this situation, and He didn't. (I got to experience some of that later.) But the best part is that I can trust Him no matter what. No matter how dire the situation, no matter how beyond my control it is, I can cast all my cares on Him, because He cares for me! (1 Peter 5:7)

So believe! Believe, and ask! Your faith delights the Lord: "without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him." (Hebrews 11:6) If you believe little, you will likely see little, and then continue to believe little. It is a vicious cycle.

I understand that sometimes He doesn't give you the miracle you are seeking. Sometimes really horrible stuff happens anyways. And it seems there is no reason, no answer. Maybe you feel angry at God, and afraid to believe Him. It only makes sense that you might feel that way. But I promise you that out of every hurt comes something better, richer, and more valuable. I can say that to be true because I experienced it. He truly does work all things together for the good of those who love Him. You can trust Him. He is faithful. He is love. He is weeping with you as you suffer, as He once suffered on earth as well. He will NEVER leave you nor forsake you. (Hebrews 13:5) That's a promise from your Creator, dear friend. Believe it!!