Pregnant-Nah...wait how many tests?

After a great Christmas vacation in Philadelphia and a wonderful, relaxing New Year's Day, Mary and I decided that we were going to read God's word and spend majority of our morning in prayer. Mary came into the spare bedroom where I do most of my studying and said, "One of my prayers is that we get pregnant this year." I was excited because that was on my mind too, I just wasn't bold enough to say it out of my mouth.

That was January 2nd and then on the following day Mary told me that she felt "weird." This word "weird" is a flexible word, which means, "there is something going on, I don't know what it is and I don't like it." We went to church that morning and Mary begged me that we needed to stop by the nearest drug store on the way home to pick up a Pregnacy Test. Like a good and rational husband, I wanted to go to the one near our house, but Mary was insistent that this little device which holds the fate of the world, should be bought immediately because she wanted it to fastened securely in her precious safe hands.

Fearing that the fate of the world rested in this test, we went to the closest drug store. While in the store we had a hard time finding the aisle. This is especially hard because they never put, "Pregnancy Tests" on the aisle labels. After going through 2 wrong aisles, one of them encouraging couples to get pregnant and the other for sinus relief, we finally reached our destination. The next couple minutes felt like an eternity. What do we get? Single or combo pack? Name brand or off brand? So many options, so little time. Because of my experience in bulk shopping and all the great choices I have made over the years, I convinced Mary to get the 3 pack. Why? Because there is no way these tests expire or go bad, right?

We rushed home and I started folding the laundry and Mary went upstairs. My stomach was moving so fast, I tried to remain cool and calm. Then I hear, "Mike, come up here please." I finished folding one of Mary's five valor suits and walk calmly up the steps. She says to me, "Look at this!" I looked that the test, then I looked at the box. I looked at the test, then the box, and then at Mary. "HOLY CRAP! Are you sure!" I said loudly. This probably wasn't what she wanted to hear, but we were both frightened so it was okay. I hugged her and said, "We are pregnant!" I prayed for her and the babies, but then something hit me. We have two other pregancy tests. How reliable are these tests? What if it doesn't show up that she is pregnant in the other three? What if my genius bulk shopping behavior has paid off and we receive not one, but three confirmations?

I asked Mary if she didn't mind trying out the other two. One by one I was called back into the bathroom where I found all three pregnancy tests proving positive. I also found a "not so happy bride" who was forced to do all that work. The emotion was intense and the thoughts in both our minds were fear. Fear that we would be bad parents, fear that our comfortable freeing lives will be bound by the chains of parenthood, fear that our Sunday naps would go away, fear that we would never sleep, eat or do anything fun ever again.

A few days later after this all settled in, we abided in God's word and commands and allowed God to change our hearts from fear to faith and trust. We prayed that He would do immeasurablely more than we could imagine with this child. And that prayer was answered when we found that we were expecting not one but two little children in Mary's little belly. And that story will be for next week. Thank you Lord for your Grace, your attention to detail, you artistic work in our lives and Freedom in Christ.