Miracles and Prayer
Raising Prayerful Kids has been in existence since early 2018 and we still haven't shared the miraculous back story behind our ministry. We have struggled to know exactly how to share it and when to share it, but I believe it's a story worth sharing because it's a story of God's incredible provision.
Steph and I first met in college when we interned at the same church, but we began our friendship a few years later when she worked with my husband at a church. It was during our first year of marriage and Steph and her husband, Trevor, were in the same Life Group as us. Then, before either of us became parents, Steph and Trevor moved to Minnesota. We were so sad to have to stop doing life together.
In the busy-ness of both of us starting our own families and working in ministry, we didn't talk as much as we hoped. We texted every now and then, sent Christmas cards, and we got to see each other a few times a year when they would come back to California, but overall we sort of lost touch.
Much younger Steph and Sarah (far left) with our life group
Brinley's Story
We both had our first babies in 2012 and our second in 2014. My second, Brinley, was born completely healthy--or so we thought. I still remember the feeling behind this picture.
Introducing my two babies and seeing the love that Charlie expressed so generously and so quickly for his baby sister filled my heart with unexplainable joy. After this photo was taken, I squeezed my hubby’s hand with tears in my eyes and said, “I have never been happier.”
I would have never guessed that my world was so quickly going to fall apart…that I would have the worst day of my life and the best day of my life within a span of only 10 days!
10 days later, Brinley seemed a little sniffly, so we took her in to the pediatrician. Her oxygen level was in the 60’s. The nurse ran out of the room and grabbed the doctor. “I am calling 9-1-1. This is very worrisome, you need to get to the hospital now,” the doctor said firmly.
She put an oxygen mask over her face and got on the phone right away. I rubbed Brinley’s sweet head and stood there, totally stunned. I didn’t cry or scream or say anything. I just felt completely numb and thought to myself, “Are we going to lose her?”
We were rushed by ambulance to the hospital. The next 48 hours were extremely painful and devastating. That night Brin spiked a fever and the nurses told me that I needed to stop holding her and stop trying to nurse her. She laid in her crib all night and I stood above her crying my eyes out because I couldn’t hold her (it made her too hot) and I couldn’t feed her (it made her too tired). She didn’t eat all night, she just whimpered and I sobbed. I felt like my heart was breaking in two.
We went from bad news like RSV and pneumonia, to horrific news...HEART DISEASE. We found out she would need open heart surgery and that she was in danger of heart failure.
Through God's mercies and miracles, she was able to come home after 12 days and didn't end up needing heart surgery until she was 7 months old.
Though the surgery was successful, she needed a 2nd emergency surgery only 15 months later.
These were the hardest two years of my life, but God was with me in the most real and close way--in a way I had never experienced before. There were days I felt only despair, but there were also days where I felt His love in so many ways and often through the hands and feet of His people.
God Speaks
One day, He took my breath away with His love through my friend and future Raising Prayerful Kids partner, Steph! It's worth noting that at this point we had no idea we would ever be working together. The concept of Raising Prayerful Kids had not crossed our minds or entered our hearts. We were just two friends, living in different parts of the country.
Eric and I didn't realize that another couple, the leaders from our old Life Group, had been updating Steph and Trevor about all the details of Brinley's heart condition and surgeries since that first day she was in the hospital.
One day when Brinley was recovering from her 2nd heart surgery, we got a note in the mail from Steph and Trevor. They wrote us a sweet letter about how they'd been praying constantly for us and that they wanted to send us a financial gift. They had both prayed about how much to give and how to do it and God put the exact same number on both their hearts.
Eric and I were so overwhelmed with gratitude. We were just floored that our friends who we hadn't seen or talked to in so long, would give us such a generous gift and sacrifice so much for us. It was almost too wonderful to process! But about 4 days later, we were absolutely blown away.
We received the hospital bill for Brinley's second surgery. It was a bill that we were nervous to receive because it was an expensive surgery. Guess how much it was for? THE EXACT NUMBER of the check gift we had received from our friends. EXACT. And it was a random number by the way. We would not have been able to pay this bill without a miracle.
I still get a lump in my throat and tears in my eyes when I think about or tell this story. I don't tell it to say how amazing and generous Steph and Trevor are, though I think they are!
I tell it to say that God provides. God is in the details. God speaks to His children. God speaks about His children to His other children! God cares so deeply for us!
This miracle story points back to the goodness of God and to prayer. Prayer has connected us since the beginning of our friendship. Looking back, I can now see how prayer has been woven into our friendship since the very beginning when we were interns in the same church. I see how prayer has continued to be woven more and more intricately through church, Life Group, praying for each other, parenting, and now this ministry. God has brought us together, taught us to pray, and written our story in a powerful way that glorifies Him. It's always been our hope that our writing, ideas, and ministry will point you back to Him and His goodness.
God Provides
We are telling you this story with this goodness in mind.
Friend, maybe you're feeling frustrated today. Maybe you have a great need. Maybe you're going through some of the hardest days of your life right now. We've been there. We've had those days. Those years. But God is in the details.
God provides for us in ways we never could imagine. It's not always in big miracles like a friend writing a check, sometimes it's in a friend bringing you coffee. God is in both of those Sacred moments.
The other day I was teaching my Sunday School class about how Abraham obeyed God and almost sacrificed his son Isaac. Though it was incredibly painful, Abraham completely gave his son to God. Because of this, God spared Isaac's life and blessed the whole world through His family line (eventually Jesus came from Isaac's family tree!) God answered Abraham's prayers and provided a ram for the sacrifice. He showed up in a miraculous way. God provides!
Even when it hurts or when the future is uncertain, we can trust that God will provide. Ask God to provide for you and for your kiddos. He’s already provided His son as the ultimate sacrifice for our sins. Because of this, we get to spend eternity with Him!
“My God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19).
The Lord will provide for you and for your kids,in this life and in the life to come.