Our pastor asked Dan and I to give our testimony in church today. We both wrote down what what we would say and then meshed them into one. We read these words to the congregation this morning:
Dan and I have known each other since we were in high school. We dated through high school and married 2 years after graduation. We didn’t really decide that a walk with God was important until the birth of our first child, Shelby. Something about bringing a child into the world brings back all that training from your own childhood. A longing to raise her in the way of the lord took root in both of our hearts and God began to move us from knowledge of him into a true relationship with him.
Four years after the birth of our daughter, we found out that we were pregnant again! What a great surprise it was when we found out through a routine ultrasound that we were carrying not just one or two but three little bundles of joy!
25 weeks into the pregnancy, I went into labor. I was airlifted to a hospital in Denver that specialized in pre term labor. The doctors worked valiantly for a week before my body decided enough was enough. My internal organs began to shut down and I was scheduled for an emergency c-section to save my life and the life of my children. Levi weighed 2 lbs. and Kylie and Macy weighed 1 lb. 14 oz and 1 lb. 12 oz at birth. Our children were rushed off to the intensive care unit. The doctors didn’t want us to get our hopes up but God instilled in our hearts such a peace that passed all understanding, we knew it was from Him. We watched and prayed as the children struggled for their lives for about 8 weeks and then finally, they turned the corner and began to grow and get stronger. We were very aware that it was only by the grace of God that our children were alive and without any lasting effects from being born 3 ½ months early.
Our move from Colorado to Minnesota came a few weeks after the triplets were released from the hospital. We moved into our house in the middle of December. We were given strict orders to keep the triplets in the house until RSV season was over and that would be sometime in April or May! We both knew that we needed to plug into a church right away and we prayed that we would find one that we loved without having to visit numerous churches. My mom was here to help with the children and she and I attended the Log church one Sunday in January.
Our move up here has been incredibly challenging and very difficult in the area of our finances. Through it all, we have learned to lean on God in a way that is not possible if the road would have been smooth and easy to travel. God has impressed upon our hearts the need to tithe even when there isn’t enough money to go around. We have seen his faithfulness in BIG ways and we are learning to stand on his promises. We KNOW He is good all the time and that he is working in our lives to bring about good things.
We can’t begin to describe how this church and this body of believers have been crucial in our walk! Our personal walk with Christ has grown tremendously through the preaching of Pastor Fred and the incredible classes that have been offered like the Beth Moore bible studies and Lord Change My Attitude study that we completed this summer with Paul and Dixie.
We are both more determined than ever to walk a victorious Christian life. We are so thankful that he chose us, to work in us, to shape us and mold us into His likeness. May we always be faithful!
