UNNECESSARY FEARS
I was 37 years old, and five years married, before the Lord opened my womb. I had a lot of head knowledge and no experience of what it is like to carry and birth a baby.
At four months we finally decided on a doctor and I had my routine examinations. The doctor recommended an amniocentesis, as I was over 35 years of age. Jim and I declined. We already knew we would keep the baby God had given us. I did concede to taking the standard blood test given to all pregnant women as it posed no threat to the baby.
When the results of the blood test came, my doctor immediately called me with the information that some "positives" were found, indicating the possibility of Downs Syndrome or other abnormalities present. She gave me the phone number of a genetic specialist and strongly recommended I set up an appointment and have an amniocentesis as soon as possible.
Stunned, I hung up the phone and fell to my knees before the Lord, crying out to Him for His answer and His peace. The Lord was merciful and almost immediately gave me His peace - I was not to walk in fear but to trust Him. God had given us this baby, He would take care of him.
When Jim got home he was as shocked as I was. We made the decision to make an appointment with the specialist. We saw a "genetic counselor" who explained DNA, chromosomes and what caused abnormalities. We found out that any woman over the age of 35 who took the blood test would most likely get "positive" results. We both knew we would keep our baby no matter what the result, but we decided to take the test.
I must also add that at this point the Lord had put it on our hearts to go to India for six weeks. I would be six months pregnant on our departure, seven and a half months on our return. We would be going to one of the poorest nations in the world and flying all over the country. As I was pregnant I was not allowed to take any drugs or inoculations. My doctor, of course, advised against my going, as did many people, but I knew this was God's will for Jim and me, and against all human advice, we were going. "It's much safer to be in God's will than to stay where you think it's safe." I told my family and friends.
The doctor who performed the amniocentesis was very competent. For two weeks, Jim and I anxiously held our breath, prayed, and waited for the results. We tried to keep our eyes on Jesus and not on the circumstances. We tried to reconcile how our lives might change if our baby actually did have Downs or something else.
The results came back totally negative. Our baby was definitely a boy, and he was a healthy, normal baby!
Two weeks later we left for India where every believer we met prayed over me and asked the Lord to bless Jake, the name we chose for our baby. One brother, as he prayed, told us that Jake was a child of destiny. Jake was born one and a half months after returning from India. He is full of life and continues to be a precious blessing and gift from God.
I'm over 40 now, and I know that if the Lord blesses us with another we'll be bombarded with the same questions and risk of something being wrong with the baby. But something my precious mother told me has stayed with me, "God only gives special babies to special people." If that should happen, I know he will give us the strength to love and protect His gift of life.
MELISSA NESBIT
Rio Rancho, New Mexico, USA