Hope and Grace: Faith Resurrected

This piece is part of the Resurrection Story Series, where I’m inviting some friends to share their redemptive stories.

I’m so excited to share a glimpse of miracles realized,  written by my coworker Brittany.  “Britt” and I became fast friends when I came to work for Vi Bella Jewelry.  Her quick wit is typically followed by deep sensitivity.  Her heart is pure gold and she makes me laugh every single day, which is pretty valuable when working in ministry like we do.  She serves as our Creative Director and makes all things “pretty”.  She’s truly a miracle-worker some days, and as you’ll see from her story, she’s well-acquainted with miracles.

I just love her heart and I know you will too.

In 2007 I was married to my high school sweetheart and two years later our firstborn had come into the world, Macyn Faith. On Thanksgiving Day in 2011, my transformation story officially began. I went from being a church attendee  to understanding the overwhelming love of God.

I remember it like yesterday.  I noticed a lump on my daughter, Macyn’s neck. Since I knew this wasn’t normal, I brought her to the doctor. During one of our appointments, the doctors had prepared me for the worst. “We need a biopsy so we can begin treatment immediately.”

The words “biopsy” and “treatment” rang in my ears. My heart sank. My prayer became something like this, “Lord, whatever she may have, please don’t take her away from me.”

A couple years later, we decided to have just one more child. At my 12 week ultrasound, we found out we were having twins. I didn’t know whether to cry or to be happy! Three kids were not in my plan. I wasn’t ready for this…financially or responsibly.

A short 18 months later, I was the saying the same prayer…this time, on the table of an operating room.

I needed an emergency c-section at 33 weeks with my twins. One of them was in heart failure, and her heartbeat could no longer be found. During the procedure, I heard the cries of my first twin, Kamryn Grace. Then silence.

Deafening silence.

Where was the cry of  my daughter Laityn Hope?

The doctors were working on her. In fact, she wasn’t alive at all. They immediately began CPR and gave her medicines to desperately try and get her heart to beat again. Those three minutes of them reviving her, I laid on that table, and cried out to the Lord. “Please, Lord, don’t take my daughter away from me.”

It was the same prayer I had prayed 18 months ago.

Isaiah 58:9 says, “Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer; you shall cry, and he will say, ‘Here I am.’

I can’t help but think of those similar feelings Jesus felt while hanging on that tree. Helpless and lost. Despair and sadness. I can cry out to the Lord, because He cried out to the Lord – “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?”

He died, so we can be nearer to him. He bore our sins on that cross, and that is why we have hope.

Macyn Faith. Such faith I needed to have in the time of unknown and what “treatments” may become. The biopsy was taken. What relief I had when I heard the words, “It’s not lymphoma.” In fact, her condition was more rare than cancer, and this particular doctor has never seen this condition in his over 20 years in practice. A neck surgery was required to remove the mass. She had the surgery the week of Christmas, and it was a time to reflect on the celebration of Jesus, our Lord and Savior who was brought to Earth.

Laityn Hope. My twin daughter that sat on Jesus’s lap when she was born. It’s because of the resurrection and God’s abundant grace that she is here with us today. I truly believe she went to heaven and back. Since the doctors do not know exactly how long she was without oxygen to her brain, she may have some damage that we do not know about. I can say that as of today she has no signs of this, and will continue to have faith that the Lord is the mighty healer and has a greater plan for her.

Kamryn Grace. The older of the twins. Shes had many heart issues that have since normalized as she grew.  Her brown eyes light up a room, and you would never know she has had issues when she was born. Despite being “alive” when she was born, she also ended up being the most critical of the twins.

I often feel guilty for having this nice, little – wrapped up in a box with a neat bow type of story. Stories of grace, stories of faith, and stories of hope…all gifts from the Lord. I am not more deserving than anyone else for the outcomes. In fact, I don’t feel deserving at all. All I can say is, I treat my kids as a gift and thank the Lord for them daily.

In the end, I believe God has used our journey to draw me closer to Him. I didn’t have a choice on what to do besides putting my full trust in him, by crying out to him to spare my girl’s lives.

God heard those calls & answered my prayers. Thank you. You are Amazing, God.

Brittany Van Aartsen is a small town girl from Iowa. She lives with her husband Josh and their three children. She enjoys helping alleviate poverty through the mission of Vi Bella, where she serves as the Creative Director. In her spare time she enjoys activities not limited to macaroni noodle necklaces & long quiet strolls at Wal Mart.