Day 1: Alyssa Susanj
Isaiah 41:10
"Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.”
~
I have so much to boast in the Lord about! He is so faithful and good all the time!
On Mother’s Day this year, I found out that I was pregnant for the first time! A few weeks later, we found out that it’s a boy! I was always a little apprehensive about going through the pregnancy process, but God gave me and my husband, Jonathan, peace that this was God’s timing for us by putting church friends in our lives that had also found out they were pregnant at the same time! We felt reassured that we were not walking this journey alone!
This past August, while I was on vacation with my family in Ocean City, NJ, I started feeling terrible abdominal pains and could not go to sleep. I was up all night in the bathroom, praying and singing hymns to my God, hoping the pain would subside. Eventually, I couldn’t take it anymore. I wrote a post on Facebook around 5am asking for prayer and letting people know I was just about 20 weeks pregnant at the time and nervous about my baby. Right away, friends started reaching out, telling me to call my doctors who then told me to head to the nearest emergency room.
So, around 6am, my husband got up and drove me to the hospital. The pain got even worse, and, at first, the doctors thought I had just been dehydrated or had a urinary tract infection. However, after three ultrasounds (thanks to a great nurse who would not let me leave until she found out what was causing this pain) and an hour-long MRI, the nurse and doctor told me that it was unfortunately appendicitis and that surgery was urgently needed. They were really hoping otherwise, but my MRI showed more clearly that my appendix was inflamed and would have to be removed in order to keep me and the baby safe. I got really nervous upon hearing that news because they didn’t want to perform any surgeries if it was a kidney or gallbladder stone since it would be very risky with a baby in the womb.
A few hours later, my surgeon came in to tell me that he was not nervous about performing the appendectomy, but was nervous about how the anesthesia would affect the baby, which made me even more panicky. I had no choice but to give that night, my fears, my worries, my child, and my future to God at that point. My husband recited Scripture with me, prayed with me (as did my brother, sister, and many others), and sang hymns with me to calm me down. I am so blessed to have an amazing husband and family who stayed by my side through all of it!
I felt confident and at peace as they rolled me into a big, bright, cold room and laid me on an operating table. Right before they had me count down, I remember saying to God, “Please, Lord, let me and my baby come out of this alive so I can tell everyone what YOU did!”
So here I am BOASTING in the Lord and His great faithfulness to me! As soon as I came out of the anesthesia and heard my baby’s heartbeat, I was praising God and thanking Him for being so good to me! I stayed at the hospital two nights to recover but was able to leave the hospital early that next morning (right when my parents were leaving Ocean City too!) God’s timing always amazes me!
The photo of me below is a picture I took of myself feeling miraculously healed right before leaving the hospital! I was also grateful for this experience because I had never stayed in a hospital before, and this helped prepare me for the birth I am about to experience!
Our baby, Joshua, was recently in breech position, but, by God’s grace, turned and is now in right position! By the time this testimony is published, Joshua may even be born already, and I’ll have something else to boast about!!
Thank you all for your continuous prayers, support, love, devotion to God, provision of meals, encouragement, and help during this time and always! Jonathan and I are so grateful to have such a loving, caring, and supportive church family!
~
"Dear Lord, Thank you for being so good to me all the time! Thank you for never leaving or forsaking me. Please help me to always trust You, especially at times when I start to feel anxious or worried about the future and the unknown. Help me to “Fear not”, for You are with me! You will strengthen and help me, and I know You are holding my life in the palm of Your hands. Thy will be done! Thank You for being my God, for the gift of Your Son, and for loving me so deeply and unconditionally. I am so thankful for Your constant provision, help, strength, love, forgiveness, grace, mercy, and guidance each day as Your beloved child! My life and my heart are Yours! Have Your way, Lord!"
"Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.”
~
I have so much to boast in the Lord about! He is so faithful and good all the time!
On Mother’s Day this year, I found out that I was pregnant for the first time! A few weeks later, we found out that it’s a boy! I was always a little apprehensive about going through the pregnancy process, but God gave me and my husband, Jonathan, peace that this was God’s timing for us by putting church friends in our lives that had also found out they were pregnant at the same time! We felt reassured that we were not walking this journey alone!
This past August, while I was on vacation with my family in Ocean City, NJ, I started feeling terrible abdominal pains and could not go to sleep. I was up all night in the bathroom, praying and singing hymns to my God, hoping the pain would subside. Eventually, I couldn’t take it anymore. I wrote a post on Facebook around 5am asking for prayer and letting people know I was just about 20 weeks pregnant at the time and nervous about my baby. Right away, friends started reaching out, telling me to call my doctors who then told me to head to the nearest emergency room.
So, around 6am, my husband got up and drove me to the hospital. The pain got even worse, and, at first, the doctors thought I had just been dehydrated or had a urinary tract infection. However, after three ultrasounds (thanks to a great nurse who would not let me leave until she found out what was causing this pain) and an hour-long MRI, the nurse and doctor told me that it was unfortunately appendicitis and that surgery was urgently needed. They were really hoping otherwise, but my MRI showed more clearly that my appendix was inflamed and would have to be removed in order to keep me and the baby safe. I got really nervous upon hearing that news because they didn’t want to perform any surgeries if it was a kidney or gallbladder stone since it would be very risky with a baby in the womb.
A few hours later, my surgeon came in to tell me that he was not nervous about performing the appendectomy, but was nervous about how the anesthesia would affect the baby, which made me even more panicky. I had no choice but to give that night, my fears, my worries, my child, and my future to God at that point. My husband recited Scripture with me, prayed with me (as did my brother, sister, and many others), and sang hymns with me to calm me down. I am so blessed to have an amazing husband and family who stayed by my side through all of it!
I felt confident and at peace as they rolled me into a big, bright, cold room and laid me on an operating table. Right before they had me count down, I remember saying to God, “Please, Lord, let me and my baby come out of this alive so I can tell everyone what YOU did!”
So here I am BOASTING in the Lord and His great faithfulness to me! As soon as I came out of the anesthesia and heard my baby’s heartbeat, I was praising God and thanking Him for being so good to me! I stayed at the hospital two nights to recover but was able to leave the hospital early that next morning (right when my parents were leaving Ocean City too!) God’s timing always amazes me!
The photo of me below is a picture I took of myself feeling miraculously healed right before leaving the hospital! I was also grateful for this experience because I had never stayed in a hospital before, and this helped prepare me for the birth I am about to experience!
Our baby, Joshua, was recently in breech position, but, by God’s grace, turned and is now in right position! By the time this testimony is published, Joshua may even be born already, and I’ll have something else to boast about!!
Thank you all for your continuous prayers, support, love, devotion to God, provision of meals, encouragement, and help during this time and always! Jonathan and I are so grateful to have such a loving, caring, and supportive church family!
~
"Dear Lord, Thank you for being so good to me all the time! Thank you for never leaving or forsaking me. Please help me to always trust You, especially at times when I start to feel anxious or worried about the future and the unknown. Help me to “Fear not”, for You are with me! You will strengthen and help me, and I know You are holding my life in the palm of Your hands. Thy will be done! Thank You for being my God, for the gift of Your Son, and for loving me so deeply and unconditionally. I am so thankful for Your constant provision, help, strength, love, forgiveness, grace, mercy, and guidance each day as Your beloved child! My life and my heart are Yours! Have Your way, Lord!"
Posted in Boast in the Lord \'24
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