When I was a little girl, I would often climb up on my Daddy's lap and ask him to tell me the story of the "Dale Twins". Dad would cuddle my sister and I in close and begin a familiar tale of two babies who were spared life by the divine hand of God.
It all started one day when the only child, a daughter, noticed two pink hyacinths in bloom in the family's front garden. She confidently announced that her mom, who was expecting a child at the time, was going to give birth to twin girls. This daughter was 18 years old and there had been no siblings in all these years. One baby was going to be a change, but twins? Impossible! However, there was an uncle who was a twin, so her dad remained hopeful. He added his longing for twins to her newfound excitement, and put in his order for identical twin girls with curly, red hair. If they were dreaming anyway, why not be specific!
It wasn't long after this that the mom did go into labour, at 25 weeks, and two precious, little one-pound baby girls with curly red hair were born. No-one had really been anticipating twins, and definitely not this early. The doctor did not even know that twins were arriving until he saw the second head coming. Can you imagine the surprise? Now with ultrasounds and all the technology available, it would seem impossible to keep this news hidden. Upon hearing of her twin sisters arrival, the teenage daughter was quick to exclaim, "The hyacinths were right!"
All the doctors gave absolutely no hope for either baby to survive. Born with undeveloped lungs, diseases and other concerns characteristic of preemies, these little ones were just too small to beat the odds. Believing they were too fragile to be transported to a specialized facility, the babies were put in incubators and basically left on their own. Their parents made 101 trips to the hospital before they could even touch one of their girls. The father related how he would stand by the nursery window, watching their little chests rise and fall, wondering would each breath be their last? The agony of each moment. The pain of watching, yet too afraid to tear his eyes away, as if his very presence brought an unseen strength, willing his tiny, wee babies to fight for life.
And fight they did! Surpassing all probability, day after day these little girls clung to life. There were people praying for them all around the world. They became known as the "Miracle Babies". Each day brought increased hope. Daily miracles were evident. After weeks and months of agonizing uncertainty, these darling little ones finally came home. The journey still was not without challenges, but the prayers of many had been answered.
That story began 62 years ago today. Those two little babies were my twin sister and I.
God indeed gave my family cause for great joy! In fact, so much joy the only natural thing to do was name one of their daughter's "Joy" in celebration of His goodness. Again, today I am thanking the Lord for the gift of years that doctors thought would never happen. Nothing is impossible with God! I live life thankful for each and every breath and pray that each day is worthy of the gift bestowed on me by my Lord and Saviour. From my mother's womb my Creator and Heavenly Father has cared for me. No wonder I am always praising You for indeed You have given me cause for great joy!
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