Around about the end of July, Faye and Lucy were born. We were headed to Fayetteville for Brody’s party and so we decided to shoot down to Fort Smith to see the new babies. While we were down there, my mother told me the story of how Josh and Whitney prayed for twins and had twins. I thought wow, that’s pretty awesome. While at the hospital, we got to talk to Whitney and Josh for a little bit, but we didn’t get to see the babies. So We went to Brody’s party and afterwards Bailee and Evie stayed with Mom and Dad. Lacey and I spent the night in Rogers and woke up and went to church in northwest Arkansas. So while we were sitting there visiting a church in Rogers, I thought, “I’m going to try praying for a baby.” So during one of the prayers during the church service, I did pray for a baby. After church we went out to lunch and I didn’t really think about it again. Monday morning, I was upstairs (for some reason) and heard Lacey scream, “JUSTIN!!” I came running down the stairs asking if she was ok as I ran. I walked into our bedroom to see 3 pregnancy tests lined up next to the sink. I asked again, “are you ok,” and Lacey replied, “I’m pregnant!” I was in awe… Wow that worked fast.
We got lined up with our doctor and started the baby doctor appointments. We went to one appointment and after our appointment they scheduled the dating ultrasound at the hospital for the next morning. The morning of our ultrasound, I was shaving and I remember praying something to the effect of, “Lord, I sure would like to have some twins.” I didn’t tell Lacey what I was praying for. We went into the little dark room at the hospital and the Ultrasound tech started her scanning. I was standing over Lacey, excited about getting our first pictures of our baby. Then the ultrasound tech said, “there’s one…” which Lacey repeated some what puzzled, “there’s one??” and the ultrasound tech followed with, “… and there’s the other! Your having twins.” I was glowing, and I almost passed out. Then I laughed and told Lacey (somewhat hysterically), that I had prayed for twins that very morning.
Fast forward 6 months (or so) to yesterday, Lacey and I go in for a baby appointment. After checking Lacey out our doctor said, “you’ve been contracting, your blood pressure is high and you said that you were seeing spots, your going to the hospital. We were in the hospital maybe an hour and we got a call saying, “your going to Fayetteville and you probably won’t be coming home until the babies get here.” I headed home to get our hospital bag, that wasn’t in the car. I was scared. I cried and prayed. The ambulance was going to drive Lacey over so they could keep an eye on her blood pressure, so I was going to follow. My dad agreed to ride over to the Hospital at Fayetteville with me. As I drove, I kept thinking of one of my favorite stories,
“And they brought the boy to him. And when the spirit saw him, immediately it convulsed the boy, and he fell on the ground and rolled about, foaming at the mouth. And Jesus asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. And it has often cast him into fire and into water, to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” And Jesus said to him, “‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.” Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!” And when Jesus saw that a crowd came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “You mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.” And after crying out and convulsing him terribly, it came out, and the boy was like a corpse, so that most of them said, “He is dead.” But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose.” (Mark 9:20-27 ESV)
Now, to tell the truth I kind of mashed two stories together in my head as I was praying, (or maybe it was just Jesus speaking to me). I recited the part about the father asking Jesus to heal his son, and Jesus replied, “do believe that I can heal your son,” to which the father (and I) said “I believe! Help my unbelief! I prayed this went over this dialogue numerous times in my head between Harrison and Fayetteville, and even while we waited for the specialist, Tuesday night. So he came in and said that it looks like pre eclampsia. He expected us to need to deliver in a week or so but was optimistic because the boys were doing so good. So Tuesday night and Wednesday we were talking to people, and letting everyone know that the boys were coming early, but that it was ok because every thing looked ok. The baby specialist said that even if we delivered at 33 weeks, the boys looked good and would be fine.
Wednesday night the baby specialist came back to check on Lacey and the boys again. After he looked at the boys he said, “you don’t have pre eclampsia, you can go home.” He said that we had all the symptoms yesterday. All the labs looked good. The protein in her pee looked good (that’s one way that they check for pre eclampsia). I believe that God answered our prayers and healed Lacey.