Thanks once more to each of you who came to the prayer service for Sebastian, as well as to each of you who so faithfully continue to pray to our loving Lord for him.

Please pray for all aspects of the first family meeting which will be held this Thursday morning. Please pray for God’s wisdom for each person who has a role in this meeting and that Sebastian’s best interests will be served in every way. Please pray for him to be healthy in every sense of the word…for his lungs, for his eating, for every part of his little body and mind to develop and function perfectly.

Please pray for our omnipotent God’s continuing protections for this precious Little One…that he will be kept safe from Satan and danger, from physical, emotional, spiritual and mental harm.

Please continue to thank our merciful God for His blessings in Sebastian’s life and in each of our lives.

From the fullness of His grace we have all received one blessing after another….

As you may know by now I write little stories most Thursdays…below is the one from last Thursday

The Miracle of Sebastian
August 17, 2006

“…you seek Me , not because ye saw miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves and were filled. Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which the Son of God shall give unto you….”John 6:26

On March 9, 2006, Rob called to tell me Taylor was pregnant and simultaneously he told me of the serious problems with the pregnancy. There was little to no amniotic fluid, essential for lung development. There may be no kidneys. The disbelief and the hope hit me simultaneously.

Five months is not a long time in the grand scheme of things, but these past five months at this moment seem a very long time. Most of it I spent in DC or Baltimore trying to be Taylor, an impossible task. She was in bed for months and I tried to do many of her chores.

From the very beginning God gave me a verse, “They cried to You and were saved; in You they trusted and were not disappointed.”

I clung to that verse, that promise, that reminder of His unfailing faithfulness these sixty years of my life.

But the storms were not to let up. We were told heart breaking stories about what this birthing would be like, all that would go wrong. Over and over the news was seldom good.

The hours and the days passed. One remedy after another was attempted. Innumerable phone calls to experts. Innumerable emails from others who had experienced similar situations. Innumerable internet searches and phone calls for experimental things being done in a situation like this. Travel to NYC and to Baltimore to correct this suggested by experts fatal for Little One situation.

Persevering parents and others who kept seeking ways to make this wrong right were held up by our omnipotent Lord.

And life went on as best it could in view of the unknown that could unfold at any moment. Memorial Day in DC with all the cousins and aunts and uncles and me and Mick in May was followed by June and Taylor’s birthday and Rob’s Father’s Day celebrations at the Four Seasons. Then July and Rob and 20 month old Luke held a fireworks display to the second floor bedroom window where Taylor lay. And her room was constantly filled with flowers. And Rob planted and tended the garden paradise he and God had created in their yard.

And they marched on. He would go to work. And she would work from bed. And I would get groceries and take Luke to the doc for checkups and do laundry.
And little was said about Little One who was constantly on our hearts and our minds and in our prayers.

Special diet and tons of water and bed rest for months and humor and church and books and movies and phone calls and rushing to the hospital over and over.

And prayer. Prayers from innumerable people to our omnipotent and merciful and loving Lord that He would have mercy and save Little One.

Such was life for a very long time.

Sometimes it seemed as though all was lost. One night in June around ten while Rob was out of town, Taylor and I rushed the hour drive to the hospital in Baltimore. I had spoken with her doc, who said they would probably take Little One. Taylor and one of the priests at her church were on the phone praying much of the long, quiet, dark drive there.

When we arrived at the hospital, we were taken to a hospital room. They were going to take Little One. They explained the procedure.

We knew it was too soon.

Even with the unbearable and unending words from the doc to Taylor as she lay in that bed without her husband at her side, the Lord gave me hope as I sat quietly and prayerfully in the chair in the corner of her room.

In time Rob was on the speaker of my cell phone. He heard some of the plan. He told the docs to wait until he returned. He tried to get flights but could not get in until around noon . They would wait as long as Taylor was not in danger.

Rob arrived with Luke and Luke and I left the room. Awful moments ensued that day. I stayed with Luke at the hospital and talked with loved ones on the phone who prayed through that time with me.

At one point the four of us were all standing in the hall, because a nurse decided not to let Luke return to the hospital room. There we were. Taylor in her hospital gown, me and Luke, Rob all standing in this hospital hall discussing whether to stay or to leave all knowing the implications of that decision.

It was an almost unbearable time. Luke and I left them. Prayers continued. Heartache continued.

Then Rob called. We are going home.

Our Lord’s hand moving.

In time the truth began to dawn on each of us. There was nothing to be done. The essential life giving waters seemed not to be there. They seemed not to remain no matter what was tried. This was not to be of man’s doing. This would be our almighty God’s doing.

Experts continued to tell us what to expect. My heart was heavy but God kept my hope steadfast. My merciful and loving dear Lord never had me lose hope.

But everyday, every moment He held me up by His hand. He gave me Scripture. He gave me dear family support and help unlike any I have ever experienced. He had loving friends call or send encouraging, hope-filled emails. We found our faith was encouraging others.

Then one night they rushed to the hospital once more and it was decided Taylor would remain.

I returned to DC that Saturday and about 11pm that night and Rob called and said it is time.

I drove in the rain to Baltimore, praying and calling on others for prayer. I arrived around the same time Rob and sleeping Luke did from the hotel. Rob left to be with his wife. Luke slept and I lay with him in his mommy’s hospital room praying and waiting and keeping others updated and seeking their prayer and seeking my Lord.

By 2AM Rob text messaged me saying Little One is being born right now.

The moments and hours that followed are still too overwhelming to think much about…..so for sure not to yet be written about.

All I can say is Rob came into the room where his sleeping eldest son and I were and said……….he came out crying, he is pink not blue.

Our Lord performed a miracle. I have walked though a miracle. I have held a miracle.

Weeks before dear Sebastian was born and about the same time the truth of what He was doing hit us all, the Lord gave me a verse that I wrote on a post it and carried around attached to my cell phone…

Then they will know that I am the Lord.

I am humbled beyond belief.

I am changed forever.