Our Home Has Grown By Two Feet...
Written
by Angela Michael
It’s a Boy!
Isaac Daniel Malachi Michael
Daniel and Angela Michael of Highland are pleased to announce the
arrival of their 13th child, a son, on September 29th,
2010 weighing in at 5lbs, 14 oz., 19 inches long.
He joins sisters Jaclyn, Erika, Gretchen, Savanah, Mia-Alexandra,
Arielle, Taylor, Isabella, and Hannah-Noelle, and brothers Zack,
Gabriel, and Hunter Michael.
We first met this precious little boy when he was only 27.5 weeks
old in his mother’s womb. Had his grandmother possessed the money, his
fate would have been ending up dismembered in a bio-hazard bag.
Jamie came out of the abortion mill sad. Her mother told her to
get in the car. They pulled to the end of the parking lot where Daniel
met them. The mother of this young pregnant girl expressed her anger at
the abortion mill staff. She didn’t have enough money with her to kill
her grandchild. The mill was requesting $2500.00 to carry out the
partial-birth abortion on this little one. She told Daniel, “They told
me to go get more money and they would do it. Or, I can drive to
Chicago
and they will do it up there.” She replied to the abortion mill staff,
“If I don’t have the money
here, how will I have the money up in
Chicago
!” She was furious. She looked at Daniel and asked, “How
am I going to do it? I already work two jobs trying to raise my
family…”” We can help you,” he replied. “Have
you thought about adoption?”
Daniel calmed her down, “It’s
going to be okay. We can help you with the adoption of this baby.”
She replied, “Yes…that’s
what we’ll do.” Daniel said, “Call
this number and talk with my wife. Her name is Angela…” They
pulled off the parking lot.
It wasn’t an hour later when the phone rang and my conversation
with Jamie and her mother began and so, too, the journey of this
predestined child. Little did we know that this was our baby.
Jamie and her mother returned the following morning and came
inside our Ultrasound Van where we were able to take the first picture
of little Isaac. He was approximately 27.5 weeks, presumably a boy. We
passed on numerous profiles of various couples seeking to adopt a child.
Over the weeks, we ensured transportation for Jamie’s pre-natal
visits to her physician as well as proper fitting clothing and new
shoes. We got to know this family on a personal basis over the following
two months.
One day while going over the last set of adoption seeking
couples’ profiles and visits, Jamie and her mother exited the
ultrasound van; they slowly walked to their car when Jamie started
crying to her mother. Daniel caught up with them to find out what was
wrong as I was inside the van preparing to scan another abortion-bound
woman who changed her mind this day. As I helped the save into our van,
I caught Daniel from the corner of my eye running back to the van as if
to tell me something. I stepped out and met him,
“What’s wrong?” I asked. Daniel replied with tears in his
eyes, “She wants you to adopt her baby. “ And the rest is history.
Over the remaining weeks, we still tried other options we could
help with and provided other couples, but this young girl and her mother
knew our hearts and trusted us with their baby. ”O
God, make us a willing heart to protect and provide. How can we turn
down a blessing?...If this is meant to be, then God will supply our
needs and make a way.”
At 3:45 a.m. the call came. “It’s
time,” her mother said. “We’re
on our way.“ Eleven hours and four pushes later, we helped deliver
our newborn son and placed him on his birthmother’s stomach as his
tiny frame struggled to cry. Tears were streaming down our faces as we
heard and witnessed a saved life being born into the world, realizing
how close he came to being one of those graphic signs we place around
the abortion mill and hold in the Granite City parades. We were broken,
broken as the scriptures in Malachi 4:6
came to mind. “He will turn the hearts of the
fathers to their children and the hearts of the children to their
fathers.” The timing of this event couldn’t have been anymore
chaotic as we were preparing for our annual fall banquet, but God was
still in control. And we knew this birthmother, like so many, could
change her mind at any time, so we went in full throttle with guarded
hearts.
In the hospital, we persuaded Jamie to hold her son and try and
bond with him. At first she hesitated, but with some help she took him
from our arms; he was so tiny. Honestly, it was a little frightening as
he resembled the graphic signs of aborted babies. “No
matter what you choose to do Jamie, you will always be his mother. Your
blood runs through his veins.”
The night before she left the hospital, Jamie’s mother looked
at Isaac from the nursery window as Jamie held him one more time. We
bonded over the next days in the hospital. He began taking his formula,
but was still barely 5 lbs. We were given a new mom wheelchair escort
marking our new beginning as we brought this bundle of joy home.
There were sleepless nights and endless arms of support as we all
took shifts. Our extension of ministry volunteers also kicked in to help
outside the abortion mill so that no pregnant girl was left behind.
Reverend Flip Benham, director of OSA/OR flew in and we pulled together
to welcome our son at our fall fundraising banquet. He was a hit and a
surprise to not only Flip, but to many in attendance. To our surprise, a
recent couple we
helped to adopt
a saved baby came to our banquet to speak on our behalf, to show their
deep appreciation for our ministry, and their deep re-energized
commitment to LIFE. They blessed us not only with their testimony, but
we were able to visit and hold their 8 month old little boy that was
saved from abortion. It was awesome!
Flip spoke on abortion, homosexuality, Islam, and how the church
is not fighting it, but rather appeasing it. The Republican Party is not
going to fight the battle over abortion and never will the Tea Party.
Their focus is on the economy, not saving little unborn lives.
Flip commented, “It’s not often that I get to be at an event where there are saved
babies, let alone THREE! What a ministry. We should all be standing with
Daniel and Angela at these gates of hell.”
The song “Changing the World” came to mind as the Mascoutah
youth group (who blessed us with a very generous donation from donut
sales at their church) stepped up when Pastor Flip had somewhat of an
“altar call”. The kids were great! They were honest enough to step
up and admit they are not in their Bibles as much as they should be and
wanted to take the challenge Flip presented.
Thank you Jesus! “Keep changing the world, changing the world,
step up, step up,” as the lyrics encourage all of God’s people. All
it takes is one person to make a difference. For now, the cobwebs will
wait!
“Something
here is wrong; there are children without homes. But we just move along
to take care of our own. There’s so much suffering just outside our
door; a cry so deafening we just can’t ignore.” Right here in our
own communities, children are suffering and babies are dying.
“To all the
people who are fighting for the broken, all the people who keep holding
on to love, all the people who are reaching for the lonely: keep
changing the world.” Keep
Changing the World by Mikeschair
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yAtal8ZV6eo
“O
Father, with my whole heart I thank You and I praise You for this
precious little life You have entrusted us with. I lift this child up to
You, Lord, and pray that he will seek Your heart. Thank You Lord for
restoring the lost simplicity in our lives, and for the opportunity to
provide comfort to one of Your little ones. Thank you for encouraging us
to ‘step up.’ In
Jesus’ name we pray.”
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