We were about two years into marriage, and we were ready to have kids. We fell pregnant twice, and both times, my wife Elizabeth had an ectopic pregnancy: a pregnancy where the fetus develops in the fallopian tube. Not only is this a type of miscarriage, but it also means the life of the mother is threatened. If things go badly, and the fallopian tube ruptures, the woman can internally bleed and die. I remember being in the hospital, watching Elizabeth going in for surgery, and coming to the realization that not only did we just lose a baby, but my wife might not make it out of the surgery room.
I remember coming home from what I remember to be the second time we had gone through the surgery and lost the baby. My wife was asleep, and I just went into the living room to pour my heart out before the Lord. Before I even said anything, the Lord spoke to me so clearly. He said, “Matt this is not what I wanted. This is not what I wanted.”
This may contradict some beliefs, but I believe God’s will is not always happening in the earth. When God told me that, it brought such liberation to my soul and my heart. I remember thinking, “I needed you to say that. I needed you to remind me that you are true to your word. I needed to know that you didn’t leave us, and you didn’t abandon us, and you didn’t just walk out of the hospital.”
My wife and I never gave up. We knew that God’s will in our lives was for us to have kids biologically. In total, we have had four miscarriages. A few months ago, we went to the doctor again for another sonogram. Sonograms had become painful for us, but this time, the doctor told us we are pregnant with twins. The doctor says, “It’s payback for you guys, isn’t it?”
A short while later, I was on a trip to Italy, and then to France. The first night, I checked into my hotel in Italy, I was told I was in room 114. I checked into a new hotel the next night, and once again, I was given room 114. I fly the next morning just outside of Paris, France, to speak at a conference. For the third night in a row, I was booked for room 114. I knew God was saying something to me. I asked the Lord, “What is this about?” Weeks later, I was in my study at my house, and I asked, “God what are you saying?!” I felt like He said, turn to page 114 in your Bible. Page 114 in my Bible fell on Exodus 22. This chapter is on the giving of the law.
In Exodus 22, God is instructing the children of Israel on property rights and how the judicial system should operate when a thief steals. Three times in Exodus 22 it says, “When a thief steals, he must repay double for what he has stolen.” I knew the Lord was saying in that moment, “You are getting payback double for what has been stolen from you.” To add to that, our due date for the twins is 02-02-2020. The doctor even said, “Well that is a special due date isn’t it?”
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