CHARISMATIC SIGNS

I want to thank God because of the great and marvellous things He has done for me. The God of Watchman has made me a mother of a handsome baby boy after twenty years of delayed conception. My husband and I got married in the year 1995 with very high hopes and great expectation that within a short while, we would further celebrate the joy of marriage with babies coming in to increase our number. But as our babies delayed their coming, I longed for divine intervention. We had to wait for twenty years for our son to come. We consulted many doctors in my quest to conceive, but all efforts in that regard proved abortive. At some point, some doctors said there was some problem on my husband’s side, and he took the prescribed treatment, yet, after that our story remained the same. One of our concerned mothers in the Lord took me to some other hospitals, yet nothing happened. But our Diocesan pastor’s wife continued to encourage me to believe the Lord. Some other sisters also encouraged me, urging me to never allow my faith in the Lord to be weakened.
One day, our Diocesan Pastor and some elders of the Church paid us a visit in our house and after counselling us, they prayed for us.
Later, I went for a womb x-ray and several other tests. Somehow, discouragement wanted to set in, because at this time, the problem had lingered for seven years. Surprisingly, all the doctors I was consulting were unanimous in their verdict that there was nothing wrong with me. They counselled that I should relax my mind, that with time, conception would occur. One fateful day, the Diocesan Pastor asked one of the pastors to pray for us and we believed in the ability of God to do all things. Afterwards he called me and said that if it were in his power to grant me conception, he would have done that a long time ago but then he firmly believed that God in whose hands the power to give me the miracle I was looking for was, would do it for me. When he said this, I was greatly touched.
In 2005 I went for laparoscopy after which the doctor said, ‘madam, just go home and relax and stop spending your money because you have no problem, the children will come at the appropriate time.’ He told me he would not like to be collecting my money for all these needless procedures, but would rather advise me like he would his own daughter to go home and not worry myself unnecessarily because there was nothing wrong with me. I concluded there and then that I would not visit any hospital again. The more I tried to erase it from my mind, the more worried I was. I couldn’t help the feeling that kept coming up that time was running out. However, I kept praying and hoping that God would visit me. My husband on his part encouraged me to have faith in God that He is such an awesome Being. I continued to remind God in my prayers about this important need in my life.
There was a time we went for a Diocesan programme at Orlu which was organized by our Diocesan Pastor’s wife and there were prophecies from the instrument the Lord used that day. I believed the prophecy and wanted it to happen immediately, forgetting that God’s ways are not like the ways of men. Soon, I resolved within me that any other time there were altar calls for sisters looking for the fruit of the womb, that I would no longer come out, neither would I attend any other programme put together to address the matter. It was indeed a trying period for me. People said one thing or the other. Derogatory statements were directed at me for no fault of mine but I swallowed them all and continued to cry unto the Lord the more.
In 2011, our Diocesan Pastor’s wife organized another programme for sisters on this issue of the fruit of the womb but I refused to attend. But some sisters who attended testified to the glory of God that according to the word of the pastor who ministered, they were blessed and to prove their point, soon they cuddled their own babies. As they gave such testimonies, I wondered why my case appeared different. Indeed, after the programme, I got several calls from the sisters who had attended. They told me that I missed so much by not attending. Some even encouraged me to come immediately to receive my own blessing. Later, one of our mothers in the Lord called to say that she received the blessing on my behalf. The information I gathered was that the minister at the programme had pronounced that God wanted to bless a pastor’s wife with a child but she was not at the event. Later, I prepared and went to Orlu where the programme was held. When I got there, the mummy handed me some flowers while saying to me, here are your blessings. I knelt down and many of the sisters present showered me with flowers, symbolizing my blessing in the area of conception.
Later that year, I became sick and went to the hospital. After seeing a doctor, he asked me to go for a scan so as to be able to diagnose the problem. The result, according to the doctor, was that I had multiple fibroid. I was shocked because there had been no sign of that. I then asked him what the symptoms of fibroid were. I wasn’t comfortable with his explanations and when he suggested that I should prepare my mind for an operation, I quickly dismissed that. I resolved that I would not go for the operation. I was not persuaded that that was how the solution to my matter would come.
Then, sometime in 2014, our Diocesan Pastor and some members came to our zone and while ministering, a prophetic utterance was made that two pastors would be visited by God. After the programme, I went to see the Diocesan Pastor so I could greet him but before I could say anything, he asked me if I heard the prophecy. He said that he was sure that the prophecy was for me because he had been praying for me and asking God to bless me. Just after that, my brother-in-law also slated a one week prayer programme. On the last day of the prayers, he came all the way from Onitsha and after the Sunday Light fellowship, he asked me to come for prayers after which he said that he had accomplished his mission.
The following month I noticed a change in my body system which I assumed was one of the symptoms of the fibroid the doctor had talked about. Curiously, I conducted a pregnancy test later and it was positive. Not wanting to let the cat out of the bag, I kept it to myself. Two months later, I asked a sister to conduct another test for me and the result was again positive. I monitored the development with keen interest but because I was not fully convinced, I kept it close to my heart and did not even inform my husband. After sometime, I started having blood flow. I went to the hospital and it was controlled though I was still having pains throughout the period partly because of the fibroid. Three months later, I went for a scan and the doctor was surprised to notice that I was pregnant even though I had multiple fibroid. He, however, praised God and was happy for me. He said that the delivery would be by Caesarian Section (CS) and I started to prepare my mind for it. Eight months into the pregnancy, I went for another scan and I was told that I would deliver the baby without stress. I also knew that the devil was at work because of a dream that I had but the Lord settled my mind during the pastors and wives meeting that was held in January this year (2015). One of our pastors from Owerri called my husband and I and said whenever it was time for me to deliver and they said that it should be through CS that I shouldn’t entertain any fears that I should submit to it. I knew the Lord was speaking because before the end of the meeting, another pastor also called me and said the same thing. When it was time for me to put to bed, I was taken to the theatre where the Cesarean Section was conducted and my baby was safely brought out. I also thank God that the multiple fibroid was equally removed. The whole exercise was successful and I give glory to the almighty God who has removed this reproach from me and now I am a mother.
Praise the Lord!”