A Double Portion

[Posted with permission from my sister. For an even more beautiful account with breathtaking pictures, go to Stephanie's post. You'll need an exuberant amount of tissue for either.]

Well, I've been absent for far too long. I've missed all of my blogging sisters and I've missed sharing in your lives and love for the Lord! Gosh. I've missed you.

Some of you already know, but my sister lost both of her twins this week. She developed an infection that caused her body to go into labor. They stopped the labor but the infection had already spread causing her entire womb to be infected. The only choice to save her was to birth the babies at 21 weeks gestation. It was the most tragic and the most beautiful thing I believe I will ever witness.

Before delivering, we had a strong prayer time. We beseeched our living & active God to come into the room and completely heal Katie. We asked in confidence for a closed cervix & restored amniotic sacs. We asked for the infection to be cast out and for her fever to disappear in Jesus' Name. I know that God was in that room. I know that Jesus Christ Himself was with us. We fully expected for our prayers to be specifically answered. When they checked Katie, Sailor was already in the process of being born. God answered in a way that we didn't understand. Katie said it best when she said in the silence of the room, "Well. I asked God to take my infection away. The babies are the infection. He's taking the babies."

Sailor Marie Cobb was born at 11:37 p.m. on Thursday, April 21. Maundy Thursday. Sailor never spent a moment here on earth.

Ryder Hunt Cobb was born at 6:45 a.m. on Friday, April 22. Good Friday. If anyone knows what it's like to lose a son, especially on that day, it's God. He was born alive and his heart continued to beat for about 2 hours after he entered this world. What I saw in those moments was breathtaking. Katie scooped that baby up and became the BEST mother I've ever seen. Her strength was indescribable. She set aside her own emotions and with every bit of her being loved that baby. I still can't even begin to imagine how in the world she did it.

Yes, I can. Jesus.

Medically speaking, Katie will make a complete recovery. Her womb will be completely healed and she is physically able to be a mother in the time she chooses. I praise God for that restoration.

Emotionally speaking, Katie has a hard road ahead of her. I don't even know what it will entail but God has surrounded her with friends that have experienced the very same thing and she has their comfort and wisdom.

Spiritually speaking, Katie will never be the same. None of us will.

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28 (emphasis mine)

The Cobb/Jarvis/Keeling family shared something incredible and God is knitting our hearts together in a way that we could never do on our own. His Presence with us is such a mighty thing. My SSMT verse a couple of times ago was Colossians 2:2-3...

"My goal is that their hearts, having been knit together in love, may be encouraged, and that they may have all the riches of understanding of the knowledge of the mystery of God, namely Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge."

Who knew how true that would be..... We don't have full understanding of the mystery of God but we do have full understanding of the knowledge of that mystery. I hope that makes sense. We don't understand it but we understand knowing it. And I'm completely okay with not understanding it because He does.

My next SSMT verse is my prayer for Katie, Ryan, and our whole family. Please join me.

"Instead of shame you will receive a double portion, and instead of disgrace you will rejoice in your inheritance. And so you will inherit a double portion in your land, and everlasting joy will be yours." Isaiah 61:7 (NIV) (emphasis mine)