Fourteen Weeks

10/4/2023

Written By: Margie Davis

Fourteen weeks is just under 100 days. That’s how long our great grandson Marshall was in the NICU at Riley Hospital. Praise God he is finally home!!

Born at 28 weeks in a very emergent surgery, to save his and his Momma’s life, baby Marshall has known nothing except breathing tubes, feeding tubes, monitors, blood tests, x-rays and lots of doctors and nurses. He started his fight for life only weighing 1 lb 10 oz. The tiniest fighter.

But God Himself knit him together. Every single body part is perfectly formed. We see God’s mercy when we look at baby Marshall. “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:22-23

In 14 weeks we watched our granddaughter go from being someone who worries, to becoming an absolute unshakable ROCK! With 54 staples in her abdomen, she left her own hospital room in Franklin and sat by her son’s bed in Indy.

When those sutures broke open a week later, she left the doctor’s office after they packed her belly with gauze and said “Mimi, will you drive me to Riley?” We see God’s strength in her when we look at Aubrey. “He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.” Isaiah 40:29

For 14 weeks we watched our grandson in law go to work every day and to the hospital most evenings. We watched him take care of things at home and bear the responsibilities so Aubrey could be by Marshall’s side. He became a dad in a flurry and had to make the hard choice of staying in one hospital with his wife who almost died, or being with his son, who needed him to be his advocate on June 20th. We see Trent trusting God as he makes decisions for their family! “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.” Proverbs 3:5-6

14 weeks ago Aubrey agreed to help us at Clarity Pregnancy Center by having an ultrasound as a “model” to help Leah Bennet, Center Director, get her Sonographers Certification. It was there that Leah, a former labor and delivery nurse, found that Aubrey’s blood pressure was quite high and sent her to her doctor’s office. She also told her the symptoms to watch for that would mean she would need to go straight to the ER.

When those symptoms manifested that evening, Aubrey went to the hospital where they later told her that she and the baby would have died had she not come when she did. We see God’s divine protection when we look at the way God used Leah! “Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him; I will protect him because he knows my name.” Psalm 91:14

For 14 weeks many of you have been praying for this child fervently. I have been told repeatedly that you pray together with your own children. There have been times when we see an immediate answer to those prayers and other times we called upon you to pray harder! It connected me with people that I barely knew before! I have definitely seen the outcome of communication with God in all of you faithful prayer warriors! You have been FIERCE!!

Over these 14 weeks so many asked how they could help and have sent gas, restaurant, Door Dash gift cards or cash. We have seen how God blesses a GENEROSITY that I couldn’t fathom!

I could go on and on. But the point of this is that in 14 weeks I have reconnected with the character of God by seeing HIM in YOU! His character is unchangeable. He doesn’t jump on a cultural wave and ride it until the next wave comes along. He is SOLID!

When we are tempted to inch ourselves farther and farther away from the absolute truth of Scripture in order to be accepted by a society who DOES NOT CARE ABOUT US, we need to stand our ground. Resist the devil. DO NOT SURRENDER YOUR POST!

We are approaching an election year that will have all our heads spinning! It does not matter! God will be right in the center of it all. Your job is to be confident in God!! Know what His word says so that you can stand firm in the face of confusion!

The character of God has not changed! He is still merciful, trustworthy, and generous. He protects us and He HEARS us when we call on Him. Take heart and be encouraged by that reminder today!