Dear Friends and Family,
“Oh, magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together!” Psalm 34:3
“For you formed my inward parts;
You knitted me together in my mother’s womb.
I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Wonderful are your works;
My soul knows it very well.
My frame was not hidden from you,
When I was being made in secret,
Intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
Your eyes saw my unformed substance;
In your book were written, every one of them,
The days that were formed for me,
When as yet there were of them.” Psalm 139:13-16
This week we are very thankful! It was one year ago today (February 18) that we heard awful news concerning our then unborn daughter. You might remember that I had a routine ultrasound here in Albania when I was about 16 weeks pregnant. The ultrasound showed something that needed further examination. When I was 20 weeks along, I had a more thorough Level 2 ultrasound with the best maternity doctor here in Albania. Our baby was diagnosed with a cystic hygroma (a sack of fluid or thickening on the back of her neck). In a daze, we listened as our doctor gave our baby a 1% chance of living outside the womb, if I even carried her full-term. He even suggested an abortion as a viable option. On top of that, some specialists in the States who had seen the scans, were concerned about the lack of amniotic fluid they saw, saying I could possibly go into labor at any minute.
Hearing such devastating news, we immediately became aware of just how fragile life is, how every breath and every heartbeat, every little squirm and kick that I felt in my womb, was being sustained by the Creator. There was no doubt in our minds that God was knitting together our little girl and that He had a plan for her and us. We were truly comforted by His Sovereignty and His Grace. His constant care for our family was so evident to us. He even gave me a very special joy during that time, joy in Him, in His salvation, in His Son.
We decided to return to the States for the remainder of my pregnancy. I had several more ultrasounds, amniocentesis (a sampling of the amniotic fluid for DNA/chromosomal testing), and a myriad of appointments and check-ups with doctors and specialists at the hospital. Our daughter’s chance of survival outside the womb climbed to about 50% with the negative test results following the amniocentesis. Towards the end of my pregnancy, it became very difficult for the specialists to see anything wrong with our baby. But they kept telling us that maybe it was just the angle, that ultrasounds are not diagnostic....that we could be cautiously optimistic. We were unsure of the real state of our baby’s health until the day she was born.
Through all the uncertainty and potential anxiety, the Lord remained faithful. He surrounded us with the comfort of fellow brothers and sisters. He spoke to us through His Word. He moved hundreds (maybe thousands?) of people all around the world to pray for us and to intercede for the life of our baby. Hundreds of emails poured into our inboxes, reminding us of precious truths, spurring us on to faith and hope in God alone. Your prayers and words of encouragement kept us afloat. We knew with all our hearts that Evangeline would be ushered into this world into the loving arms of her parents or the loving arms of her Creator. And I can honestly say that we were pretty emotionally prepared for either outcome!
On my due date, June 25, 2008, my labor was induced at 9:00 am and 6 1/2 hours later, a healthy and normal 6-lb-13-oz baby girl - Evangeline Sarah – was born to us. She was (and is!) truly a miracle. When the doctors and specialists did not know what was going on inside my womb, when they couldn’t see with their own eyes and had to use the imperfect “eyes” of machines, GOD, the LORD, was forming her every part, and glorifying Himself in the process. After she was born, the doctors and pediatricians searched and searched and could not find one evidence of the malformation seen in multiple ultrasounds.
Indeed, we give God the glory for her life and continued health. For both our children, in fact. Going through something like that made us realize just how much we took for granted during my first pregnancy. How much we take for granted every day of our lives! God is in complete, sovereign control over every detail of our lives. There is not a maverick molecule in the universe.
We serve a mighty God. We are so needy, frail, and sinful. Our hearts are wicked and our paths are crooked. But God has made a way. “But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8. That is a present tense “shows his love”. Christ’s death is still applicable today. His resurrection is real, and His salvation is at hand. Just like the doctors and specialists could not predict the health of our baby or guarantee me one more day with my unborn baby, we cannot guarantee that we will live tomorrow, or even finish out today. In the famous words of our beloved Coach Rex, “Are we going to see you in heaven?” We hope so. And in the famous words of Bill & Addy (Grandpa and Grammie) Mull, “Walk with the King, and be a blessing!”
Join with us in praising God for the little “Princess who bears Good News” - Evangeline Sarah Hall.
By His Grace & For His Glory,
Gretchen Hall for all of us
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