There is a game that I like to play. In my mind, I transport myself to another time & place with this simple statement….
“This time last week, last month, a year ago I was (insert activity here).”
Today was a trip back into time for me.
This time 26 years ago, I was pregnant & bed ridden. And I would remain bedridden for a full nine months.
Having miscarried in February, this time, signs of trouble appeared even before having this pregnancy confirmed by my obstetrician. I called him & he said, “You know the drill. Lie down. Feet up. Let’s wait & see what happens.”
And wait we did. When I was a month pregnant, he had me come into his office & scheduled an ultrasound to confirm the pregnancy. At that appointment, it was assured me that I was indeed pregnant. The test also showed no apparent signs for the bleeding that was occurring. Not wanting that I get my hopes up & face disappointment again, my doctor kindly stated, “With your history, don’t get your hopes up that this one will go full term.”
He gave instructions for me to continue bed rest. He also told me that bed rest is recommended solely for the benefit of pregnant woman. It would not change a thing regarding whether the pregnancy would be viable. But I would feel like I was doing something, which somehow would protect the life inside of me. And it would help me not to feel guilty that I had not done all if things did not bode well.
I would have done anything for this pregnancy to go full term. Anything. And so, that summer, I planted myself firmly on our bed with our then six year old daughter. We did everything on the bed together. She somehow enjoyed that summer fully & came to regard our bed as a campground of sorts. We played games, did puzzles, watched TV & ate our meals there. Actually, I could have won the trophy for being the best bed rester. Seriously.
Every visit to my OB proved that the life in me was still growing. Yet the visible threat was also a still present reminder of what could happen.
I had very little company or visits. But the visits I did have were full out prayer meetings for the protection of the life inside of me.
Newly relocated friends of ours came to the house often. They cleaned, did laundry, did our ironing & prayed. And prayed. And prayed. Rosie & her mom were my life line many days. When they were done praying, I found myself filled with renewed faith. All anxiety & doubt banished. Early that fall, Pete & Rosie came over to share with us that they were moving back to the Carolina’s where they had come from. They could not adjust to life in Massachusetts. They prayed with us one last time before heading back. No sooner than Rosie had said, “Amen” than she announced, “It’s a boy.” She continued…..”You will have a son. And he will be born. While praying I saw you holding him for his baby dedication.” She was filled with a faith & declared, “No matter what happens in the remaining months of your pregnancy, no matter what the doctor says, the baby will be born. A son.”
Those words got me through many times of anxiety & fear. When either of those emotions pressed in, I remembered Rosie’s prayer & words. Anxiety & fear would flee.
Here is what I learned…..
We need each other. Actually, we need the prayers of one another. I have remained grateful for the prayers of many over the years in my life. We need people around us that can pray with faith & expectancy. We need their words & the Scriptures they speak to us to infuse us with courage to press on. We need the faith of others when we are holding onto our own faith by a thread.
Today when I played the game, This Time Twenty Six Years Ago…..I remembered the truth that was ingrained on my heart & mind—–
The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.
(James 5:16 NLt)
And by the way….I did have a son 🙂
Today I am linking with Grace Laced Mondays and Making Your Home Sing and The Alabaster Jar and The Better Mom and Inspire Me Monday and Hear It, Use It and What Joy Is Mine and Sharing His Beauty and Playdates With God and The Modest Mom .
Found your link on GraceLaced Mondays! So precious to take a time lapse back in time to see God working. I love it! So glad you and I have boys! 🙂 Precious gifts from above.
So glad you found me! Thank you for stopping by. Our boys are surely gifts! I hope you will visit again.
Blessings,
Joanne
5 years ago, I was pregnant. Although my health was good, I was far from home and in dire need of a friend. My sisters gathered around me to cook, pray, hold my hand, translate for me and help me in a million ways. I’m glad Rosie was there for you too!
God is faithful to provide the help we need. I am so glad that you had the help as well! Thank you for stopping by & sharing.
Blessings,
Joanne
So glad your story had a happy ending. And what a treasure trove of memories you created with your then 6-yr-old! God must have been so pleased with all the prayers going up to him during that time; I wish we could stay so faithful in depending on him at all times.
May we depend on Him at all times for we need Him always. So glad you stopped by!
Beautiful story. Thanks for sharing!
Tina @ Mommynificent
Thanks for stopping by my place. Having friends to support us and pray with/for us is so important. We have relocated a few times and when we were not surrounded by other Christians, we felt lost. We prayed for the Lord to bring other Christians into our life; one year later I am a Women’s Lifegroup leader and we have a wonderful couple’s lifegroup with great friends. The Lord does provide. So glad that He did for you when you needed it most. Kim
He is so faithful to provide what we need, when we need it!
It’s wonderful how God works!
I have almost exactly the same story. I had miscarried and was pregnant again with our 5th, but I had little hope of carrying this one full term either because of bleeding. So off to bed I went!
During this time, we attended a church where we had never gone before. When the pastor’s wife – a dear, godly elderly lady – learned that I was expecting and feared losing this baby as well, saw me, she looked me up and down and announced: “No, you’re not going to lose this baby. You’re going to have a girl – a healthy baby girl!”
Her words were so comforting to me. I took them with me every time the ultrasound said “hydrocephalis,” etc. I had peace that the baby was fine.
And, sure enough, I had a healthy baby girl! She’s now 18 years old, and loves the Lord with all her heart.
How blessed I am!
Thank you so much for taking the time to share all this! I loved knowing that our God placed a woman of faith in your life at your time of need as well. May you & I have opportunities to be that woman of faith for someone else in their time of need!
Blessings,
Joanne
Oh, this story is such a reminder that we need the body of Christ, isn’t it? And just picturing your sweet daughter camped out on your bed with you makes me smile. Children can find the fun in anything! Glad we were neighbors at Laura’s today!
So glad you were “neighborly” & stopped by. Thank you for the encouragement.
Jo, thanks for sharing this with all of us. Oh how I know the importance of having friends who pray for me and who share the Word of God with me. May I be an example of what it means to be a faithful friend in prayer, encouragement and exhortation to those women God has placed me around in the body of Christ.
Jo, I can go back in my memory and be grateful all over again for the many times you have prayed for me in very hard times. You shared the Word with me and what a difference it made in my life and in my family. Thank you, precious Jo.
Mare –
So grateful that we have prayed for each other over the years!
Love you,
Jo