Faith the size of a Cherry

I rushed home after our ultrasound visit to meet with the Lord and pray. For about 2 weeks my focus was on the baby that was developing slower than the other one and my mind rested on a passage of scripture I had been meditating on during quarantine.

In Romans chapter 4, a mans faith in Gods word is written about. His name is Abraham. Abraham’s story can be found in Genesis 12 where God tells him to, “Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing…and to your offspring, I will give this land”

When we cross reference Romans 4 to this passage in Genesis 12, we find that within Abraham’s current situation, it was going to be nearly impossible for his offspring to even, exist.

“To the one who shares the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all, as it is written, “I have made you the father of many nations - in the presence of God, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist. In hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations as he had been told. “So shall your offspring be.” He did not weaken his faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead (since he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah’s womb. No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God. Fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised.” Romans 4:16-20

When I read this scripture, so many words of truth stuck out to me, along with a way of thinking that I could hold onto:

• God, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist

• In hope, Abraham believed against hope

• He did not weaken his faith when he considered his body (THAT HE WAS ABOUT 100 years old!) or the barrenness of Sarahs womb

• No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God

• He grew strong in his faith AS HE GAVE GLORY to God

• Fully convinced that God was able to do, what he had promised.

I was honestly jaw dropped on my floor when reading this scripture. I felt so encouraged by Abraham’s faith! Despite his current reality of being 100 years old, along with his wife Sarah who was barren, He didn’t waver in his faith! He actually grew stronger in it, as he gave glory to God. Abraham was fully convinced that God would follow through on the promises given to him - making him the father of many nations, and later revealing a promise to his son Isaac, that his offspring would be as “numerous as the stars in the sky” (Genesis 26).

So, I decided right then and there on my living room floor, that I was going to speak life over the babies in my belly. I decided, to have faith like Abraham and believe in God, “who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist.”

As I took some time to pray, I thought of Matthew 17:20, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."

I glanced down to my phone, and my pregnancy app had been open to todays updates of the pregnancy.

“At just 10 weeks, the baby is a size of a cherry and the embryo has become a fetus. At this stage, the vital organs and tissues have been formed and are beginning to function and grow rapidly. The fetus can swallow amniotic fluid and move their arms and legs. Their bones and muscles are becoming stronger and the fetus has more bones than we do as adults! Adult humans have 206 bones, but babies start with 270 bones. As babies grow, the bones fuse together, reducing the number to 206. The fetus is now covered with delicate and transparent skin, which is starting to be covered with soft hairs called lanugo. The fingers and tones are developing, and the fetus is about 1.3 inches long. - Flo Pregnancy App, Medical board of 50 professors and doctors from Europe and North America.

I took a breath of fresh air as I recounted Matthew 17:20, the scripture above talking about having faith the size of a mustard seed. “God…” I said to the open space within my living room, “I have faith the size of a cherry.”

It felt as if my still soft words echoed across every wall in the house that day. Each reverberation bouncing off the quills of my almost tattered heart.

All I knew is that I had faith the size of a cherry, and that was way bigger than any kind of mustard seed! More than that, It was honestly all I had to give. As much as I was still proclaiming life over the twins in my belly, an aspect of my heart was in disbelief that the smaller baby was going to live.

I remember texting my family during those few weeks and asking them to believe for me because, I didn’t think the strength I had was enough . My sister replied, “I’ll believe for you Dom!”.

Even though I had mustered all strength to proclaim this gift was mine to keep, and that despite the situation, I could be like Abraham and believe in hope against hope, and not consider the physical remnants of my current situation. Still, a major ingredient I would need to keep my faith in God on this journey, would be the people to the left and right of me, carrying and walking me through this ungraspable season.

Next Blog entitled “The Circle of Life” to be published on 11/26/20