“Bless the Lord O my soul and all that is within me…”
This week is my daughter’s 26th birthday, and she has truly been a special gift to my husband and I. At this time, I would like to share our story of how, even in the midst of the unknown, God blessed us with “an unexpected gift.” (This story appeared in the September/October 2012 issue of “The Women’s Journal.”)
When my husband and I were married for almost five years and I still had not conceived, we decided that I should undergo tests to see why this had not occurred. The results showed that I had a partial blockage and had below the normal percentage rate of getting pregnant. The doctor indicated that some women often get pregnant within two years after undergoing testing; however, in our case, this did not happen.
As the years quickly passed by, I continued to believe and trust that there was a reason for everything. In November, 1986, one month away from our eighteenth wedding anniversary, as I was getting ready for bed, my thoughts were interrupted at hearing a still, small voice telling me that “when you have a baby girl, you are to name her Jessica Kathryn.” Since my husband was away on a business trip and I was alone in the house, the voice startled me for just a moment. However, I decided to write down the name and date in my journal and quickly said a prayer of thanksgiving.
By the middle of March of the following year, I had been feeling nauseated in the mornings so I purchased a pregnancy test and discovered I was pregnant. My husband and I were so excited. The next day, I contacted the doctor. Since I was over 35 and this was my first pregnancy, he scheduled an appointment for the same afternoon. While at my appointment, the doctor confirmed that I was pregnant and that I was due on November 23 which was Thanksgiving Day that year. My husband and I were so thankful. The doctor also scheduled a specialized test that would determine not only the sex of the baby, but would also show whether there were any prospective problems. The results were to be ready in two weeks.
In the meantime, my husband decided that he would think of boys’ names in case we were having a boy instead of a girl. He decided the boy’s name would be Trey Robert. When the results showed that we were indeed having a girl, his disappointment quickly turned to delight.
When my daughter was born one week before Thanksgiving, we were residing in Stone Mountain, GA, so when an opening with my husband’s job became available in our home state of Pennsylvania where we had family members, my husband was transferred.
Two years ago when my daughter was married and her father officiated at the wedding, she married her best friend and his name was Trey Robert. My husband also got the son that he always wanted.
Some would say that this was merely a coincidence; however, I knew in my heart that it was not. I believe that at the time when I got pregnant, along with the move back to our home state, the city that we chose to live in, the school that my daughter attended and the friends that she made were all part of a higher plan. Even the date that she was born on turned out to be the date that I had written down in my journal on that night I heard the voice telling me the wonderful news that I would become pregnant. I wrote down November 16, 1986. She was born on November 16, 1987, one week before my due date. She was the “unexpected, delightful gift” we received, and I will always be thankful that I listened and continued to believe that all things are possible with God.
During this Thanksgiving as we take a few moments to thank God for all of His many blessings, take the time to tell your loved ones how much they mean to you and how they have blessed your lives. If you want, take a few moments to write down everything you are thankful for, past and present moments in time, and feel blessed by His love.
Blessings on you,
Yvonne
Reading in November: “A Million Little Ways” by Emily Freeman