The following is a former winner of the Amazing but Incredibly True Story Contest.
Copyright Michael Stein, 1997
In the early morning hours of August 21, 1986, God, who knew the secret dreams of my heart, gave me a son. My wife Susan named him Michael. We call him Mick. I believe that all children are special gifts from God, and of course Mick was no exception. Two days before Mick was born on the evening of the 19th of August, a miracle of God's grace and faith challenged my Christian convictions. This is my story.
When I went to bed on the evening of the 19th of August 1986, my wife and I were both excited and prepared for Michael's birth. I had attended child birthing classes so that I could participate in the birth. We knew that Michael was a boy, and his room was already decorated with blue wall paper. Susan's bags were packed and we had planned our journey to Jefferson Hospital in Philadelphia.
Before we went to bed, I would rub Susan's back and legs. I would also talk to Michael through Susan's belly. I would say "Hello Michael! This is daddy, over." Then I would wait to see if Michael would answer back, which he often did with a kick in my ear.
When I went to sleep, I fell into a very deep state of rest. Suddenly I realized that my spirit was fully conscious. I began to wonder what was going on, when the Lord called me by my name. "Michael." My first reaction was "Oh no!" Then He called to me a second time, and immediately I began to see a vision of little Michael inside Susan's womb. I then heard a voice clearly say "The umbilical cord is wrapped around his neck twice." The Lord repeated these words again and showed me the baby from a slightly different angle.
The vision was dark with a red highlight, as if someone had turned on an extremely bright light that was positioned on the other side of Susan's stomach. I could see Michael move, and I could see the chord wrapped around his neck. When my spirit was returned to my body, I was drenched with encouragement to meet the challenge that lay ahead. I was wide awake of course and when I thought things through, I decided to roll over and get some sleep. I knew that I would need it.
The following morning Susan woke up with all the symptoms, which indicated that she was in labor. I was absolutely sure that I had a job to do as well, but I had no idea how to go about it. Inside I was surprisingly calm and the experience from the night before was rooted in my heart like a giant oak tree. I did not mention to anyone what had happened to me. Things became hectic as we made all of the appropriate calls, collected our bags and began the 35 mile trip into Philadelphia.
By the time we reached the hospital, it was early in the evening and everything was going according to plan. Susan's labor was progressing right on track. The attendants took Susan to the preparation room and hooked her up to the monitors. She had begun to dilate, but then it seemed that the natural process of child birth was suspended. As I looked at the monitors clicking away I started to see the vision again.
Susan's doctor arrived at the hospital and decided to sleep until things progressed further, and Susan was attended by a young delivery room nurse who enjoyed her work immensely. As the time passed, I began to feel a great urge to reach out and do something. Susan's condition remained basically unchanged. The urgency of this experience is hard to describe. I did not feel out of control. In fact, just the opposite was true. I felt completely in control. Then as I watched the monitor working away, I saw the cord wrapped around Michael's neck and I suddenly realized that the little guy was fighting for life on his own with only me to help him. I ran to get the nurse.
I found the nurse just outside of Susan's room. I told her the vivid details about my vision , which wasn't hard to do because I was seeing it all over again as I talked to her. I carefully explained how the Lord had told me about the umbilical chord and that if the labor did progress any further Michael would go into fetal distress. The nurse went into the room and checked the monitor output and told me that everything was just fine.
I explained to her that faith requires action, and asked her what she would do if God had given her such a vision. When she answered and she said "Let me see if I can get you some suction." When she said this, I had an enormous release of energy, and I knew that faith had just put its shoulder to a mountain that was about to be moved.
The kind hearted nurse went to fetch Susan's doctor, who was still sleeping. When they returned, he went in and checked both Susan and the monitor. When he had finished, he stepped outside to assure me that everything was going well. I told him that I knew everything was going well and I told him about my dream. His eyes betrayed his disbelief. He looked at the nurse who again suggested "SUCTION" as a long word that seemed to be a question. I thought for sure that I was going to be vacuumed up or something, but when the doctor said "OK," the nurse said "Praise God," and I almost fainted.
When they began to prepare Susan for the delivery room, I still had no idea what "SUCTION" meant. I reminded the doctor that the cord was wrapped around Michael's neck twice, but he refused to make any reply. It was now the early morning hours of the 21st of August and Susan was sedated. A second doctor joined in for the delivery. I was ready for another long medical procedure, when all of the sudden an instrument was produced that looked like a toilet plunger with a stainless steel handle. The plunger was placed up inside of Susan, and just when I thought that we were getting started, Susan's stomach wrenched and the bulge that was Michael moved forward and out of her body in one powerful gush. Michael was born instantly.
The doctors both seemed to be nervous. One said to the other, "The cord was wrapped around twice." I said, "Excuse me. How many times?" Susan's doctor had to inhale deeply before he could reply, "Twice." So I said , "I just need to double check that you meant the umbilical cord," and he nodded yes vigorously, as his eyes nervously danced up and down above his surgical mask. Michael was whisked away to be checked out, but Susan remained in the delivery room. The placenta had to be removed by hand, because the umbilical cord had broken off.
Later, when I spoke to the delivery room nurse, she told me that Michael was in great shape. There was no damage to his neck, and considering the circumstances he was OK. She asked me if I now knew what "SUCTION" was, and of course I laughed. I then asked her what she thought about my vision, and she said , "Michael is a miracle baby." The doctor was still in shock, but she herself was not. Then she added with a smile, "God moves in mysterious ways, and sometimes He just do whatever he wants."
Michael is ten years old now, and in this last decade I have begun to experience many new, strange, and wonderful things. At first, it started by believing that Michael was a special gift from God to me. I discovered that I needed to be a better caretaker. Even though I was willing to change, I found that knowing how to change is a difficult process. In truth, as his life has unfolded before me, Michael has become one of my greatest teachers. The ability to change is the greatest miracle of all, and once faith is set in motion it lasts forever. It is unstoppable.
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