Brethren,
Claudia and Abigail were transferred from BC Children’s Hospital on Thursday and are now on the Pediatric In-Patient unit at a regional hospital. Abigail’s condition continues to improve daily, though effective breastfeeding remains a challenge (she still has to be topped-up by tube feed). As you remember Abigail in your times of prayer, please petition our gracious Heavenly Father to give her the strength and coordination she needs to be able to nurse and to gain weight. These are the only remaining hurdles that prevent Claudia and Abigail from coming home immediately. We would love to have a grand “home-coming celebration” at the beginning of next week!
Abigail had a newborn hearing test today, and appears to have no auditory problems. So far, the doctors have found nothing “missing” from Abigail’s little body. However, they have discovered something “added”: a third copy of chromosome 21, instead of the usual two. So we have a new diagnosis: trisomy 21 (more commonly known as Down syndrome).
Our gracious Heavenly Father decided,
before the dawn of time, that He would gift our precious daughter, Abigail, with an extra chromosome. I choose these words carefully, in order to accurately reflect what the Scripture teaches about God’s involvement in human conception and prenatal development.
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- The Darwinist would argue that trisomy 21 is a “mishap,” a “random accident,” a “genetic malformation.” But we are not Darwinists.
- The evolutionist attributes Down syndrome to an “imperfectly evolved reproductive process,” a “meiotic nondisjunction event.” But we are not evolutionists.
- The statistician would lay the “blame” for this “event” on maternal age (“aging ova”) or alternatively, paternal age (“aging sperm”). But we are not statisticians.
We are Christians.
We believe the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, which very clearly teach that there are no accidents in God’s universe. Every event is directed by the Hand of the King of Kings who is Sovereign over all. While sin has wreaked havoc in this lower world, even the effects of the Fall are used by the Creator to bring honour and glory to His own Name. The disciples asked Jesus, in John chapter 9, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?,” to which Jesus responded, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him.”
So, I can confidently say
that God gifted Abigail with an extra copy of chromosome 21, in order that the works of God would be revealed in her life. Abigail, like each of our other children, was skilfully knit together in the womb by the gentle hand of the One who makes no mistakes. Abigail is part of that “heritage from the Lord”, the “fruit of the womb” declared to be a “reward” in Psalm 127. Claudia and I are humbled that the Lord would choose to give us such a precious treasure as this unique and gorgeous daughter.
Prior to Abigail’s conception,
we prayed ardently for the blessing of another baby and during the pregnancy petitioned God that this one would play a special role in His kingdom. I believe that He has answered our prayers, and will continue to answer those prayers, more abundantly than we could ever ask or think.
It is no mere coincidence that our tenth live-born child bears the name Abigail Solana. The root of the name, Abigail, is a Hebrew name meaning, “father rejoice” or “father’s joy”. Abigail’s middle name, Solana, is of Spanish origin and means, “sunshine”. I have no doubt that our sweet Abigail Solana will live up to her name and prove to be our “Joy and Sunshine”! (Daddy’s joy & Momma’s sunshine!).
God knew exactly what we needed
when he made us stewards of this precious life. I would hesitate to call Abigail a “Special Needs Child”, but I will readily admit that we are a “Special Needs Family”…God saw how needy we were, and He gave us a special gift to meet those needs! He fashioned and designed Abigail in precisely the manner that He did, knowing that one extra chromosome would ultimately be the best thing possible for Abigail herself, for our family, for our church, and ultimately for His own glory and the advance of His kingdom on earth.
May the name of the Lord be praised!
Mark
Prayer Update: Hallelujah! Abigail arrived home from the hospital on Tuesday afternoon! Continue to keep her in your prayers, however.