SermonStudio

Laurie Woodard

The story I am about to tell didn't seem to lend itself to words, due to the profundity of its content, and for many years it stayed in my treasure box of memories as an ethereal moment in my journey.

The Lord has shown great favor upon my husband and me. After two years of infertility procedures, we were able to conceive our first child. Our healthy little daughter didn't come into this world without a struggle. We never ceased to be grateful throughout prolonged efforts to lull her to sleep. As amazing as her life was, three years later she was joined by a sister who arrived without excessive waiting or complications of any kind. Number two daughter came with an even sleep pattern, which helped to restore my faith in motherhood.

About two years later, my husband announced that our family of four seemed incomplete, and that we should consider a third addition. I resisted that proposal for months because I really thought we had our hands full. But the Lord had other plans. He revealed them to me, one summer day, as I was riding my bicycle home from a Bible study titled, "The Challenge Of Being A Woman." The lesson of that day focused on the husband and his leadership role in the family. It suddenly became clear that God was asking me to yield to my husband's desire to expand our family.

My willingness brought us to a place of bounteous blessing, threefold! Not only did God send us a son, but two daughters to accompany him. In just six years, I had delivered five babies: two daughters born in separate births, followed by a triplet birth; two more daughters and a son! As a monumental number of feedings and diaper changes went by, and the purchase of a bigger residence came to pass, the rigors of parenting multiples continued, but not without God's constant provision and guidance.

However, nothing could have prepared me for the next event, a fourth pregnancy to top things off. I constantly asked, how could I ever carry another baby with my daily duties of tending to a kindergartner, a three-year-old, and three eighteen-month-old toddlers?

Every day was a physical and mental challenge. I continually battled feelings of anger, doubt, blame, desperation, and fatigue. How could I possibly complete this pregnancy and accommodate another baby? After about six weeks of sheer mental torment, I finally surrendered to God's will and agreed to accept my sixth child and trust God to make a way where there seemed to be none.

Shortly after my relinquishment, I was put on bed rest due to some moderate bleeding. After a weekend of lying in the horizontal position, I really expected everything to be fine, but the ultrasound told otherwise. The doctor announced that I had miscarried. While his condolences were sincerely extended to my husband and I, a sense of relief consumed me and I felt a flood of God's divine deliverance take over my entire body. Perhaps I had passed a test? Maybe God had no intention of continuing the burden of a pregnancy?

Although I cried no tears of sorrow, I had been given a temporary gift of a new life that I look forward to meeting in heaven. The ultimate reward was the incredible manifestation of God's love that entwined itself around me in a vision of being literally lifted up out of my bed. It seemed as if I was viewing myself, floating above the space where I actually was. Great torrents of God's merciful love swept over my body until I was overcome with a sense of being "high and lifted up." I can now truly say, "How great is the steadfast love of my Heavenly Father!"