No Limitations

May 12, 2019 | by Nancy Newbrough

The past 18 months have been a trying experience for our family. In January 2018, my husband, Davis, and I were expecting our third child. Shortly thereafter, we had a miscarriage -- followed by a second miscarriage in April. Both were draining on our emotions and my body. We decided not to try for a third child. God had already blessed us with two perfect daughters; we were at peace.

In the first week of August, I got a call from my stepbrother informing me that my stepdad (our oldest is named in his honor) was in the hospital. This wonderful man who raised me had suffered a major heart aneurysm. I found a flight for the following morning to go back to my hometown in Louisiana.

After seeing how bad the situation was, I booked a red-eye to rush home, pack a few items for a longer stay, and drive my 5- and 7-year-old girls to see their grandfather. While we were packing, something told me to take a pregnancy test. That is when we found out a third child was on the way. 

For the next several months, I drove to Louisiana with our daughters every weekend possible: a six-hour drive after school on Friday and a six-hour drive back home before bedtime on Sunday. There was little time for our daughters to play or for me to visit with family or to see my husband. All this while I was in my first trimester and feeling exhausted.  

God gave us three more months with my dad. The Lord allowed us to say our goodbyes and to reveal that we were expecting another little girl on Easter Day (just enough time for him to inform us that he “did not like the name we picked for our baby!”  Even while dying, he made us laugh!) He passed away two days before Christmas.

When we finally got back home, I thought to myself, “Now I can concentrate on being pregnant.” The following week, during a routine appointment with my OB/GYN, our doctor informed me that at 27 weeks, I was dangerously low on amniotic fluid! With bedrest and a lot of liquids, she “hoped” we could make it to 30 weeks. What?!?

I felt overwhelmed and my husband was swamped at work!  We cried. We prayed. We prepared. And we began submitting prayer requests on Sunday morning so the Prayer Team could lift us before the Lord ... and God showed up! 

As soon as I was put on bedrest, God reminded us of His never-ending blessings by providing continual support through neighbors and friends. Neighbors we had hardly seen in months brought us dinner unexpectedly and repeatedly. Other friends and neighbors, now all friends, volunteered to walk our children to school and bring them home each day. Members of The Fellowship that we had recently met, including parents of our children’s friends, prayed and let us know of their on-going concern for us and for our still (thankfully) growing baby. 

Hoping our pregnancy would last until at least February, we returned for another follow-up appointment with our doctor. My fluid levels were still low, but they had held steady for the previous two weeks. Another two weeks passed and we were still going! But bedrest was hard with two young children, and we remained stressed.

One night, when my husband did not think he could pray, a pastor from the church called him! God’s hands and feet know no limitations, and they were active even when we could not be. And after 13 hard, very long weeks, our little Perry was still in the womb full-term when Easter Sunday came. But she was not here yet! 

Our doctor scheduled a C-section which meant a much harder and longer recovery for me. We quickly put in another prayer request for a normal delivery. The hospital wanted to set the C-section for the day after our due date, but something told me to push it back just one more day.

We were all ready to check into the hospital at 5:30 a.m. on Tuesday morning.  But just two hours before, I went into labor ... naturally!  We showed up at the hospital and delivered a beautiful, healthy baby girl just hours after the C-section was scheduled to begin. After 40 weeks, Perry made her grand entrance into the world!

Everyone is doing great, and Perry is loved more than words can express. We recognize that our life has been, and remains, incredibly blessed. God showed us what wonderful things He can do through prayer and His people taking caring of one another. Our joy is overflowing on this Mother’s Day!

Sarah

Her children arise up, and call her blessed;
her husband also, and he praises her.
Proverbs 31:28