Nausea all day and all night. A jar of pickles (or two). A can of jellied cranberry sauced. One pair of jeans. What do these things have in common?
They're all things I went through in the first 14 weeks of my pregnancy. Yup, that's right folks. If you haven't heard already, Mr. Adams and I are expecting our first baby June 1st, 2015. To say we are excited is a complete understatement, and yet I can't find any better words to explain my feelings. I have waited my whole life to see those two pink lines that say, "Yes, you are. No kidding." I've always wanted to be a momma, and now the good Lord in all His wondrous grace and mercy and love has seen fit to place this little person to grow inside of me and be mine and my husband's firstborn. Truly, we are in for a treat.
But what I've really been wanting to tell you is how much of a miracle our baby is. Of course, yes, every baby is a beautiful miracle; a special someone; a unique and specific individual whose life will never be repeated or replaced. But for those of you who know me, this has been a long, winding, hesitant road that started before I even hit junior high. I can finally tell you why my baby simply being conceived is a miracle.
From the day I received my "gift" from mother nature that indicated my body was even the least bit fertile, I had difficulties. I went through over a decade of doctors and different treatments to regulate my body and ease the discomforts that came with it. While relief and successful treatment finally came in my late sophomore year of college, the troubles did not end. I had been told since before I was 16 years old that I might have difficulty having children, if I was able to at all.
You see, there's only a tiny window of opportunity for a woman to become pregnant, and some windows are better than others. My doctors couldn't guarantee that my body was opening that window at all. But because I was under hormonal treatment 24/7, in order to have children, I would have to quit the treatment, and possibly endure what I already had for over a decade, which still wouldn't allow my body the time to conceive. I was stuck between a rock and a hard place, and I wondered how my husband and I would walk this rocky path. It would take a miracle to see my body balance and function as it should in order for us to have children. But I never thought to ask God for a miracle. Maybe I had said, "Lord I need this to happen," but I know I never believed it was actually possible for God to heal my body. It never even crossed my mind!
If you've ever doubted the importance of the church community in your life, turn your back on that doubt now, and know that your brothers and sisters in Christ within the Church are some of the most valuable people you can have in your life. I didn't even think to consider a miracle for myself until a dear friend of ours began praying for me consistently. She and her family are so diligent in their prayers, down to the smallest child, that I couldn't help but wonder why I would ask others to pray for me, but not pray for myself. "Ask and you shall receive."
As I began to pray for myself, and turn my heart and mind to a level of faith I didn't know existed, I began to understand that miracles are not a thing of the past. God is very much alive and at work, and His Spirit flows within us, ready to do His bidding. All I had to do was ask and believe that God is who He says He is, and that He can do what He has always done - the impossible.
When I quit my hormonal treatment so that we could start trying to conceive, I was a mess. I was worried and anxious that my body would return to its old state and that I would suffer through more testing and treating, never to see any end to the misfortunes of an unbalanced body. But after three months without any hormonal assistance, my body was functioning well and proper, and my health had improved by leaps and bounds. My cycles were a little short, but nothing unusual and nothing discomforting.
By nothing other than the gracious hand of God, I received my miracle.
In month four, we found out we were pregnant, and now we are well on our way to meeting a little girl or boy who is going to be so dearly loved, and who will be taught just how much God had to do in order for them to come into this world. If you are needing a miracle, small or big, know that God does indeed have the power to make it happen and He is more than willing! Our God longs to hear our prayers and requests so that He can answer and show Himself as the faithful and loving God that He is!
