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Devotional:
By Leslie
Pearl
Bailey-Clarke
Submitted November 26,
2004
Presenting .... Miss Cayliana Camille
Clarke
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Well, as a believer today the trials
mentioned in the surrounding scriptures and more are there to defeat
us if we happen to forget what Christ says.On Sunday
October 26th 2003, my husband Ossie and I were happily in
attendance at a special prayer service at our local church in
Brooklyn, which was fittingly entitled The Breakthrough"
service. As the praise and worship team sang encouraging songs and
the Pastor prayed for individuals with special needs, I (a praise
and worship singer) stood with my hands lifted and
praying. I was talking to the Lord about the desire my husband and
I shared to have a child. We had been married almost two years and
were hoping to start a family right away. My doctors had given me no
encouragement in the production of a child due to a number of large
fibroid tumors that were growing in my uterus and surrounding it. As
I approached my 39th birthday here came even more
criticism towards becoming a mother. But, deep down I knew the
outcome was solely up to God, so I stood with hands lifted praying
for His good favor in this area.As I stood praying my Pastor turned to me and said "
Leslie, the Lord has impressed upon me that, breakthrough is coming
to your house today". I thought to myself "Oh My Lord, could this be
for me regarding what I was just praying? (About the baby)". Knowing that prophetic words
are given only in part, I began to thank God for whatever outcome he
had in store. I could have accepted it as a word to my finances as
we, like anyone else, could have stood in need of a financial
blessing at that time. But, way back in the back of my mind was the
fact that as he spoke that word, I was then praying for the miracle
of a baby. Anyway, I went home and on Monday afternoon I decided to
take a pregnancy test only being about a day or two late I thought
my curiosity needed to be satisfied. And with great joy I shared
with my husband that I was expecting. This was news we couldn't keep to ourselves and we told
nearly the whole congregation, family members and friends. The only
problem with our excited notion to share all of this was what had
occurred on November 26th
2003. I went to my Doctors after having several bouts with loss
of blood and some pain; it was then I was made aware that the child
had been lost. As Ossie and I and the Doctor looked at the empty
sack on the sonogram, I was stiffened and in disbelief. The Doctor
left the room for us to console one another and I remember my
husband saying to me that that morning he was led to meditate on the
scripture verse 1st Thess. 5:18. He told me that we ought
to give thanks to God in everything. So he pointed out to me that we
ought be grateful to know that we can at least conceive. So we
should be grateful and that we could always try again. His faith in
God's ability to turn this thing around for our good was all I could
hold on to. As I returned home on this Thanksgiving Day Eve, I
contemplated the horror of the child's death and the despicable
challenge of sharing this terrible news to all our well wishers. I
broke down and cried for about 3 hours
straight. Then I received some phone calls from some Saints and
they were all pointing me to the word of God and to rest in Him. I
was truly encouraged and got through the grieving process very
quickly. I spent most of my time thanking God for His outcome and
believing that something good had to come out of this. Seeing that
this Miracle of birth started with a call from the Spirit of God
through my Pastor of 10 years to me, I was extremely confused. I
just believed it was supposed to come to completion. So the news of
the pregnancy termination stirred within me for several days. Our
Church celebrated its anniversary that same weekend and we had some
special Thanksgiving weekend services. Regardless of my grief, I
found myself at all three meetings with my hands lifted worshipping
and praising God for who He is. Approx. 8 days later I was told to come in for some blood
tests and a check up. When I came in my Doctor insisted on
performing a sonogram again, simply because the blood test I took on
the 26th very unusually indicated an improved level of
the pregnancy hormone. We were elated to see there was a healthy,
kicking baby striving just like there had been weeks
before. I excitedly called Ossie and shared the great news and we
gave God more thanks. Of course we were tempted not to tell the good
news this time. But, we did out of faith that God would deliver. We
did receive many warnings from our doctors that nothing was
promised, that the baby may be severely under weight and pre-term
and not to be surprised of any other
complications. Well, gratefully on July 12, 2004, two weeks over due I
delivered Cayliana Camille Clarke a healthy 6lbs 5 ounce child.
Cayliana is almost 5 months old today, as I remember how important
it is to GIVE THANKS to God in all situations. This situation taught
me that "concerning me and my household" there was a need to see
God's sovereignty and still honor Him as worthy regardless of the
outcome. This year I have my blessing in my arms for Thanksgiving
Day. I give God great praise, honor and glory for I am truly
grateful.
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