IMPOSSIBLE POSSIBILITY!

In December of 1985, the Lord visited me and showed me the husband that I would marry (which happened seven months later). He also showed me a delivery. It was quick, there was little pain, and most of all, it was a little girl. I awoke, thanked the Lord, and life went on.

To my amazement, in June of 1986, the man who is now my husband was on leave from the USMC. I had known this young man all my life, as we had lived on the same street as children.. He invited himself down to check on my mother. We had lunch the next day and we prayed together on our few lengthy visits. He had to head back to his base in a few days, but before he left he asked me to be his wife, the same words I had heard six months earlier in the vision from the Lord. It had become a reality! I resigned from my job, took a plane to North Carolina, and began life as a military wife.

The children came fast , but no daughter. In 1992 my husband had to go away on a military exercise. It was a morning like any other, except I heard the clear voice of the Lord in my heart, "I move in the realm of impossibilities." Before the day was over, I knew why God had spoken to me. I was nursing my three-month-old Phillip (our family had now increased to six children) and the phone rang. It was the doctor telling me that my husband was involved in a 7,2000 volts electrocution. I was breathless. One man was already dead but he reassured me that the military doctors were taking good care of my husband. I called a friend nearby and she asked, "Did you ask the doctor if he had all of his limbs?" That frightened me but I was reminded of what God had spoken to me earlier that morning. He proved that He does move in the realm of impossibilities because my husband is whole today.

This brings me to Miss Rachel Olivia Banks. I was now expecting our eighth baby and we drove to the doctor's appointment. As I lay on the table I pondered why the nurse asked so many questions. Finally she looked at me and said, "It's a girl." Tears of joy swelled in my eyes, but in the same voice she said, "Your doctor isn't here today and so I'm calling in another doctor to talk with you." I knew immediately something was wrong. I looked at my husband and he looked at me, squeezing my hand tightly.

In the softest voice, the doctor informed us that our baby was mongoloid. What an ugly word. What an ugly day this had become. This was the little girl for which I had waited eleven years, the baby who kicked inside me to let me know she was alive, and who made me smile as I thought of her joining our family. The doctor pressed us that a decision about abortion must be made quickly.

The word 'mongoloid' frightened me. I didn't even watch scary movies. All kinds of thoughts ran through my mind. I quickly got dressed, got on to the elevator and to the first floor where I burst into a stream of tears. My husband held me tight. "Remember," he said, "that the Lord told you that He moved in the realm of impossibilities?" I nodded my head in reply. "Yes," I said in a cracking voice.

We made our decision and talked to the children. This baby was our child, she was our gift, and we would love and cherish her just like our other children. There would be no termination and the word 'mongoloid' would never be mentioned in our home.

The morning of July 22, 1996 this precious little girl came forth to see her dad and mom who trusted in the Almighty God. We had replaced all negatives with praise, and buffeted our fleshly thoughts, submitting totally to the will of God.

To God be the glory. She was born healthy, whole and perfect. I forgot where I was for a moment. I lost all sense of time and lay weeping before God. I praised Him so much that the only thing that brought me back to reality was the voice of the doctors around me calling, "Mrs. Banks, would you like to hold your little girl?" I replied with my eyes and held her, thanking the Lord. The doctors were outdone, and brought their colleagues to visit.

As I write this testimony, the extended joy of Rachel Olivia is Sarah Olivia who is due September 16, 1997. She is the tenth pregnancy and the ninth living. My purpose in life is to obey the will of God; even my womb is open for His will. I cannot submit to closing my womb or aborting. Who knows which one will bring about changes, cures, or declare the mighty works of God?

MARIA BANKS
Virginia Beach, Virginia, USA.

Linton and Maria are the blessed parents of Marvin, Denise, Linton, Joshua, Jonathan, Phillip, Benjamin, Rachel and they are expecting their new arrival September 1997.