Good Sunday morning
Part Three of my testimony on how God has been integral throughout my life. (Part Two is the post of the 16th of February 2025).
I can’t imagine what my parents’ life must have been like.
They had been longing for the birth of their baby and both were hoping that it would be a girl. They had even decided on names from which to choose.
Their prayer was answered. They had their baby girl. What they could never have anticipated were all the complications with which they had to deal.
Their first choice for my name was Deanne although Felicity was on their list.
With no prompting, my maternal grandparents, who did not know of the names which were chosen, phoned my mother and told her that they had a strong feeling that the new baby should be called ‘Felicity’ (felicity refers to the state of being happy or blissful, and is always used as a noun in a sentence, for example, "The couple enjoyed great felicity in their marriage").
At about the same time, my paternal grandmother spoke to my father and told him that she had the strongest feeling that they should name me ‘Felicity’. This was rather strange as my father’s mother was Afrikaans speaking. ‘Felicity’ is a very English name and not one that any Afrikaans-speaking person would choose.
Given the God-confirmation from both families, my name was settled, with Deanne as my second name, although, to my mother’s despair, my father registered my names as Felicity Diane. My mother always pronounced my second name as Deanne.
Back to mine and my parents’ life in those first months of my life.
After the shock of my birth, the entire right side of my body was completely paralysed with no hope of every being restored. I was unable to suckle and my father, who was an engineer, devised a feeding apparatus which could be used to drip small amounts of milk into the left side of my mouth so that I was able to swallow. Feeding time was an hour-long process and needed to be repeated every two hours because I was so small. With my father at work all day, my mother's life was exhaustion upon exhaustion. I was not born prematurely and I thank God for that because if that had been the case, I doubt that I would have survived those first few months.
Throughout the initial months, my parents lavished love and attention on their ‘imperfect’ little baby who was always such a happy little soul. With a name like ‘Felicity’, I suppose that is to be expected.
Their first choice for my name was Deanne although Felicity was on their list.
With no prompting, my maternal grandparents, who did not know of the names which were chosen, phoned my mother and told her that they had a strong feeling that the new baby should be called ‘Felicity’ (felicity refers to the state of being happy or blissful, and is always used as a noun in a sentence, for example, "The couple enjoyed great felicity in their marriage").
At about the same time, my paternal grandmother spoke to my father and told him that she had the strongest feeling that they should name me ‘Felicity’. This was rather strange as my father’s mother was Afrikaans speaking. ‘Felicity’ is a very English name and not one that any Afrikaans-speaking person would choose.
Given the God-confirmation from both families, my name was settled, with Deanne as my second name, although, to my mother’s despair, my father registered my names as Felicity Diane. My mother always pronounced my second name as Deanne.
Back to mine and my parents’ life in those first months of my life.
After the shock of my birth, the entire right side of my body was completely paralysed with no hope of every being restored. I was unable to suckle and my father, who was an engineer, devised a feeding apparatus which could be used to drip small amounts of milk into the left side of my mouth so that I was able to swallow. Feeding time was an hour-long process and needed to be repeated every two hours because I was so small. With my father at work all day, my mother's life was exhaustion upon exhaustion. I was not born prematurely and I thank God for that because if that had been the case, I doubt that I would have survived those first few months.
Throughout the initial months, my parents lavished love and attention on their ‘imperfect’ little baby who was always such a happy little soul. With a name like ‘Felicity’, I suppose that is to be expected.
My mother took me to the clinic weekly for checkups for both my health and my mental development. Each week, the diagnosis of my mental development remained the same, my parents would need to care for me for life as brain development was well below normal. From a health perspective, my head gradually returned to normal size and shape, and I started to have some use of the right side of my body.
Eventually, it became obvious to my parents that the paralysis of my right side was diminishing and eventually all paralysis was gone. The miracle of that was not lost on my parents. So many people were praying for my healing and I know that their prayers were heard, how could I not?To my parent’s delight, when I was six months old, I started to crawl. This was so unexpected that the doctors were shocked. It also meant that my body was healing faster than anyone ever thought possible.
My parents also noticed that I was frequently alert, looking around, laughing and trying to form words. My mother shared this with the doctors who told her that all new parents believed that the noises that their babies were making were actual words and that she had to remember that I had more mental issues than other babies. This didn’t deter my parents in the least and they talked to me all the time as if I were ‘normal’.
When I was about ten months old, my mother told the doctor that I had spoken my first sentence. My mother said that the doctor shook his head. He was used to her telling him that this baby was more advanced than he knew she could be.
“Humour me please, doctor,” said my mother. “If we’re lucky, she may surprise you. Go out of the room. Come back in and say ‘Hello, my baby’. She may respond and say ‘Hayo, Dada’ which is what she says when she sees her father.”
“Oh, my dear, I do wish that you wouldn’t keep getting your hopes up. It can only end in heartbreak for you.”
“Please doctor. Just try. If there’s no response, at least I will know for certain that it's all my imagination.”
With a shrug of his shoulders and a sigh, the doctor left the room. He stood outside for a few seconds and came back into the room saying “Hello, my baby”.
His tiny, mentally disabled patient smiled at him and said “Hayo, docca”.
My mother always laughed when she recalled the look on the doctor’s face. She never had to take me to the clinic for developmental issues again. What a relief and all gratitude to the Lord Jesus who made my miraculous recovery possible.
Our God does not make mistakes. God is perfect and His creation, made in His image, is, likewise, perfect in His eyes. Nothing that we are physically, nor anything that we experience in this life takes away from how God views us as perfect. Although we fall short of perfection in the eyes of the world, we will always be perfect in the eyes of God.
Eventually, it became obvious to my parents that the paralysis of my right side was diminishing and eventually all paralysis was gone. The miracle of that was not lost on my parents. So many people were praying for my healing and I know that their prayers were heard, how could I not?To my parent’s delight, when I was six months old, I started to crawl. This was so unexpected that the doctors were shocked. It also meant that my body was healing faster than anyone ever thought possible.
My parents also noticed that I was frequently alert, looking around, laughing and trying to form words. My mother shared this with the doctors who told her that all new parents believed that the noises that their babies were making were actual words and that she had to remember that I had more mental issues than other babies. This didn’t deter my parents in the least and they talked to me all the time as if I were ‘normal’.
When I was about ten months old, my mother told the doctor that I had spoken my first sentence. My mother said that the doctor shook his head. He was used to her telling him that this baby was more advanced than he knew she could be.
“Humour me please, doctor,” said my mother. “If we’re lucky, she may surprise you. Go out of the room. Come back in and say ‘Hello, my baby’. She may respond and say ‘Hayo, Dada’ which is what she says when she sees her father.”
“Oh, my dear, I do wish that you wouldn’t keep getting your hopes up. It can only end in heartbreak for you.”
“Please doctor. Just try. If there’s no response, at least I will know for certain that it's all my imagination.”
With a shrug of his shoulders and a sigh, the doctor left the room. He stood outside for a few seconds and came back into the room saying “Hello, my baby”.
His tiny, mentally disabled patient smiled at him and said “Hayo, docca”.
My mother always laughed when she recalled the look on the doctor’s face. She never had to take me to the clinic for developmental issues again. What a relief and all gratitude to the Lord Jesus who made my miraculous recovery possible.
Our God does not make mistakes. God is perfect and His creation, made in His image, is, likewise, perfect in His eyes. Nothing that we are physically, nor anything that we experience in this life takes away from how God views us as perfect. Although we fall short of perfection in the eyes of the world, we will always be perfect in the eyes of God.
Genesis 1:27 ESV (English Standard Version) - God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them, male and female he created them.
Psalm 139:13 ESV - For you formed my inwards parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it full well.
This does not mean that we are all ‘perfect’ in the world’s view of physical perfection. It does mean that God made each and every one of us with His will in mind. The world sees perfection from a physical and visual perspective. God’s sees His creation for what our hearts are.
Make no mistake, God does not make mistakes.
My poem for today:
In God’s eyes you are perfect
In God’s you are whole
In God’s eyes you are perfect
He loves you heart and soul
So turn towards Jesus
Look up to Jesus
Turn towards Jesus
With Love
In God’s eyes you're a wonder
In God’s you are whole
In God’s eyes you're a wonder
Give Him your heart and soul
So turn towards Jesus
Look up to Jesus
Turn towards Jesus
In Love
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