“I Want a Baby!”
It was a sunny fall afternoon [2002] as my husband and I walked hand in hand through the streets of a quaint shopping village. I took a deep breath and summoned up the courage to tell him, “I want a baby.”
“Then get one,” he responded, thinking I was referring to the over-priced realistic looking baby doll I had been cradling in the store. I tried again, “No, I want a baby.” He sighed, “They’re kind of creepy looking but if you want one, get one.” “NO,” I retorted with more energy, “You don’t understand, I want a baby.” I had definitely gotten his attention. I could tell by the redding skin tone on his face that he now understood what I was saying.
“You want a what!” he exclaimed. “Are you talking about a real baby?”
“Yes” I smiled sheepishly.
“Mish,” he said, “are you forgetting that I had a vasectomy so we wouldn’t have any more babies. You agreed to it and I am not going to have a reversal!” I remembered. The events of the past several years flooded into my memory. I remembered the joy when we became new Christians. I also remembered my chronic health problems and growing number of prescription medications I was taking. Finally, I recalled our decision that it would not be “healthy” for me to have any more babies. We continued our walk down the street in silence and I decided to not bring up the subject again.
Eventually, I brought up the subject of adoption with my sweet, patient husband. He tolerated my bantering for awhile and then kindly told me that he was not open to the idea of adoption and was happy with the two children God had given us. I backed off and began to pray that God would either change his mind or take away my desire to have more children. Even the children were praying that God would soften Daddy’s heart towards adoption.
One day, out of the blue, he came home from work and announced that he wanted to adopt. My children jumped up and down with excitement and I closed my eyes and thanked the Lord. We met with the adoption attorney the next week and within two weeks we were matched with a birth mother in Ohio. Seven months from the day we decided to adopt we were holding our new baby girl in our arms. Joy of all joys! My aching arms held a baby again!
For the next couple of years I kept busy raising our three children, homeschooling and trying to fight my chronic health problems. It was during this time that we began to truly lean on the Lord and ask Him to lead our lives. Every night after family devotions Tom and I asked the Lord to show us our hidden sins. One by one God revealed them to us.
First he showed us that we were not caring for our temples and needed to make some healthy changes with our diet. We began by clearing out our kitchen of anything that contained hydrogenation or artificial colors. The health benefits these changes brought had us hooked and before long we were buying organic food, eating all our meals at home, taking supplements, and making homemade bread.
Next, God began to open our eyes to the sin of birth control. We knew that we had made a big mistake getting a vasectomy and wanted to put the control back into God’s hands, where it belonged. I dearly wanted another baby but I was fearful of becoming pregnant. I wondered what would happen to my body if I stopped my four prescription medicines.
Finally, Tom came to me and said, “Misha, we have to first take a step of faith by scheduling the reversal appointment. Then, I know that God will deliver you from your medicines and ailments. We scheduled the appointment and little by little the acid reflex, migraine and restless legs medicines went down the toilet. By the time we pulled into the doctor’s parking lot I was free of all medications, feeling better than ever. One evening I sat with a room full of friends sharing my repentance, my desire to have more children and my husband’s plans to have a reversal that July [2005]. I shared my fear that I would be too old to have any more babies and feared that I had ruined my family by agreeing to let my husband get a vasectomy. A sweet friend of mine encouraged me that if I would be faithful to God He would restore to me the years the locusts had eaten. I held on to that promise.
The reversal surgery was successful, but one year later I still wasn’t pregnant. Eventually I did become pregnant, but miscarried. We were back to square one. The next month I became pregnant and on June 6th, 2007 I gave birth to a healthy baby boy, Josiah.
What a joy now! I had another baby to hold, love and nurture. When Josiah was two weeks old I told my husband I definitely wanted God to bless us with more biological children but I also was interested in adopting again. Two weeks later, as we sat around the dinner table, my 11 year old daughter asked her Daddy if we could adopt a little black baby. He looked at me and asked if I wanted to. I said yes. He got up from the table to call the adoption attorney and request the needed paperwork, specifying our desire to have a black baby.
I smile now as I recall how excited we were to adopt while holding a crying four week old! We thought it would take months to be matched with a birth mom. Two weeks later I received a phone call from our attorney telling us that a black baby girl was just born in our state [Indiana] and available for adoption. I was shocked and excited. We already had a little baby but how could we possibly turn down an opportunity to receive this precious gift into our home and hearts? We told him we were definitely interested. The next day he called to tell us that the birth mother had signed the papers releasing the baby to us. We could come and see the baby whenever we wanted.
We packed up our car and drove to Evansville, Indiana. We spent a memorable weekend getting to know the newest member of our family. We named our beautiful new daughter Nadra which means “precious.” On Monday the court approved Nadra’s release from the hospital and our happy family headed home. It has been a joy and an adjustment learning to take care of the “twins” who are just six weeks apart in age. She has taken to nursing like a pro and is gaining weight well. She is 8 pounds [at 7 weeks of age] and he is 15 pounds. They don’t look like twins but I know they are going to be the best of friends.
Do I want more children? Definitely! I have learned that when I follow God’s leading He blesses abundantly and exceedingly more than I ever anticipated. Five years ago I never would have guessed I would be healthy and have three more beautiful children in our family.
MISHA EADS
Greenwood, Indiana, USA
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