Mother’s Story
Miracle Children: A Mother’s Story
By Rev. Bernadette A. Morales, Pastor for Christian Education
I am blessed to be a mother – – – a mother of two wonderful children, Caris Samuel and Rebecca Diane. I am writing this article in honor of them, and the mighty God who made all things possible for them to be born.
In December 2000, sixteen months after my husband, Greg and I were married, the feeling of wanting to have a baby set in. We thought that having a baby was just a matter of “right timing.” As a nurse, I knew these things like the back of my hand. But six months passed and still no baby, the pressure and the frustration started to set in. At first it was easy to shrug-off all the teasing, but later we started to hurt and began to feel very sensitive about the issue. It began to hurt even more when the young married couples who married later than us started to have children. We found strength and encouragement from each other and from the prayers of family and friends especially after we made a public declaration of our desire to have a child by printing our prayer request in our church’s prayer bulletin.
In November 2001, after almost one year of waiting, praying and crying – I missed my monthly period and thought I was finally pregnant. Strangely though, all the tests registered negative. Hoping against hope, I used about 5 different kinds of pregnancy kits just to check, but the results came out the same. After confirming from an ultrasound that I was not really pregnant, I was told a devastating news: that I had growing cysts in each of my ovaries. I was told later on that they were endometrial cysts – the kind of cysts that causes infertility to many women. I was given about 5% chance of conceiving. When my husband and I learned of my condition, we felt very helpless and literally cried together before God for strength and comfort.
But in the midst of our pain- we felt God’s nearness through the prayers of family and friends. Since it was nearing Christmas- we just decided to set things aside- attend to our responsibilities and have an exhaustive gynecological check up after all the Christmas celebration. Mid January I missed my period again but since I already knew of my cysts, I held myself back from even hoping. Weeks after, and still no period, I finally decided to check. I remember the date: February 10, 2002, about 5AM. Part of me had accepted the reality of my physical condition, but part of me was expecting for a miracle. Using a home pregnancy kit, I tested positive. I was immediately advised to have an ultrasound, and it was confirmed: a live ovum was indeed growing inside my uterus. I was about two months on the family way. Greg and I were speechless and teary-eyed. The cysts did not hinder me from conceiving. Although the medical possibilities were slim- God’s possibilities were beyond our grasp and comprehension. But that was not the miracle yet!
On September 25, 2002, after a relatively pleasant conception, I was ready to give birth. At first the contractions were coming as expected, but later, I was told that my baby was going into fetal distress. I was advised to have an emergency ceasarean section. Greg was immediately called to the delivery room to sign some documents. After a quick meeting with the doctor, it was also decided that the cysts in both my ovaries would also be removed. But lo and behold, when the doctors checked, the cysts in both my ovaries have both disappeared! God was indeed doing one miracle after another!
We named our son, “Caris Samuel.” Caris means God’s grace. Samuel means, “because I asked the Lord.” His name says it all. Three years after, our second child was born— a beautiful baby girl whom we named Rebecca Diane, in honor of two women who have given us our lives: my mother Rebecca; and Greg’s mother, Diane.
Caris is now 10 years old and wants to be a soldier and a pilot. Rebecca is 7 and dreams of becoming a doctor and an artist. I see them both to be very caring, joyful, God-fearing and loving. They are truly God’s precious gifts ! Today, when Greg and I see our miracle children, we are always reminded that indeed, there is nothing that God cannot do! There is no victory he cannot win. There is no tragedy he cannot overcome and no mountain he cannot move, if we just put our faith in him. Amen!
