In the past nine months, I’ve had three separate stories published in the “Chicken Soup for the Soul” series. The third book was titled “Miracles Happen.”
I believe in miracles. In fact, miracles happen every day. The birth of a child is a miracle.
Sunday night Emily, our 7-year-old, was out in the front yard running sprints while I timed her. This went on for a good half hour or so. When we went back inside, she looked in the mirror, flexed her muscles, and said, “I think I lost some weight.”
Emily is a miracle. She was born two and half months premature.
We have a lot going on right now. We’ve only been married for six weeks. We’ve got four dogs in two different houses. We’re trying to sell my house. Lucy’s house is about to close. We’re looking at new houses. I’m trying to get back into the Army Reserves so I can put my family on my insurance. With the exception of Lucy’s house closing, none of this has gone very smoothly. Did I mention that one of our dogs just had puppies?
Oh, and last Monday, we found out Lucy was pregnant.
We were so excited about having our first child together and could not wait to share the news with everyone. We wanted to share our joy. We wanted our family and friends to share in the joy, and they did. We received hundreds of congratulatory messages. People were genuinely happy for us.
Early Monday evening, I was sitting on the front steps pondering the emotional roller coaster of the last week while systematically tearing apart wet leaves one by one. Emily was outside playing and knew something was wrong. She took off running next door to Mimi’s house.
Lucy woke up Friday morning with complications, so we went to the doctor. I was a nervous wreck.
Over the weekend, she said, “I’m not scared at all, because I know God is working hard.”
We had to go back Monday morning for a follow-up and got the results of the bloodwork back late that afternoon. They were not the results we had hoped for, but we took it with grace.
Lucy took it better than me; she’s a strong woman. All weekend, we prayed for His will to be done. We believe, and when you are a Believer you have to believe that God’s plan is perfect and that everything happens for a reason.
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight.” – Proverbs 3:5-6
We have no regrets about sharing our joy. Some people wait until they are much further along in their pregnancy before sharing the news with the world, but we simply could not contain our excitement. Although miscarriages are more likely to occur in the early stages, they can happen anytime along the way.
Emily barreled through Mimi’s front door and went straight to the refrigerator.
“What are you doing?” asked Mimi.
“Getting three Sprites,” replied Emily. “Mama’s in the bed, and I want to give her one, and Jody’s on the front steps playing with leaves. I’m going to sit out there and drink one with him. He looks like he could use one.”
Emily is a miraculous blessing.
God has a plan for us. We believe in His timing, His plan and His will. He will provide us with another child when and if He sees fit to do so. Until then, we will continue to thank Him each day for the sweet, beautiful, intelligent, witty, and thoughtful 7-year-old miracle that enriches our lives each and every day.
If you’re reading this, you, too, are a miracle. You are a blessing from God.
Jody Fuller is a comic, speaker, writer and soldier. He can be reached at jody@jodyfuller.com. For more information, please visit www.jodyfuller.com.