For as long as I can remember, whether through babysitting, volunteering for Sunday school, or working at a preschool, I have always enjoyed spending time with children. Over the years, the joy of being around children deepened my own desire to become a mother.
At the beginning of 2021, my husband and I were elated to find out we were expecting. I soon joined our church’s Moms in Prayer group, knowing one of the best things I could do is begin praying for my growing baby. As my pregnancy progressed, at 20 weeks, we discovered my cervix was slightly open. I was told to monitor my symptoms over the next week. The following week, I found myself in tears as my doctor informed me I was already a few centimeters dilated. She suspected that I would deliver that day and I was rushed to the hospital.
The following two weeks in the hospital were awful. I was diagnosed with a weak cervix and prepped for surgery to attempt to stitch my cervix shut. In the operating room, the surgeon discovered I was far too dilated and attempting the surgery could result in more complications. I still remember those precious moments with my baby, watching and feeling him move as they monitored him on the ultrasound. I thought of all the plans, the crib, and clothes I already had waiting for him at home. Tears streaming down, I prayed to God to keep my baby boy safe inside my womb.
I thought of all the plans, the crib, and clothes I already had waiting for him at home.
After being rolled out of the ER, I was on complete bed rest. At 22 weeks, it was time for my baby boy to come into the world. We were already informed a baby born this early had no chance of survival, but we chose to keep praying and believing for our miracle. Soon after delivery, we heard the words, “We are sorry.” That night as we wept, my husband held our baby boy for the both of us.
The next day I was discharged from the hospital. My arms were empty, my mind and body exhausted, and my heart was full of sadness. This sadness, along with fear and anxiety, kept me awake many nights and lingered months afterward.
Five months later, I became pregnant again with a baby boy. However, my pregnancy was not without complications. I delivered almost two months early. Familiar feelings of anxiety and fear came knocking on my door. About two weeks into my son’s stay in the NICU, an x-ray was done on his intestines that had the doctors concerned. They informed us that his feedings would be stopped and he would be put back on IV fluids. Instead of an improvement, this seemed to be a step back in his treatment.
Raveena and her sister Sarah with their children. Both serve on the Moms in Prayer New Jersey team.
That same day around the same time, I saw a notification on my phone from my Moms in Prayer (MIP) group Leader. She had sent me Psalms Chapter 20 with my name inserted in it. I immediately came to tears as the Psalms talked about God answering our prayers and requests in our distress.
May the LORD answer you when you are in distress; may the name of the God of Jacob protect you. May he send you help from the sanctuary and grant you support from Zion. May he give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed. May we shout for joy over your victory and lift up our banners in the name of our God. May the Lord grant all your requests. Psalm 20:1-2, 4-5
That night, I also attended our MIP meeting where I asked for special prayer for my son in the NICU. One of the moms in our group prayed with authority for healing over my son who happened to have the same name as her son. Within that week, we received the report that his x-ray was fine and that they would unhook his IV and start his feedings again. My husband and I were amazed and filled with gratitude at this miracle that took place. Praise God!
Within that week, we received the report that his x-ray was fine and that they would unhook his IV and start his feedings again.
Why I had to experience this? I think it was so I could experience the character of God in a deeper way.
I have come to recognize that the presence of trials in life do not negate God’s Sovereignty. In fact, Romans 5:3-5 states, “We rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”
As much as it broke me to bury my first born, God was my Comfort and Hope. As weak as my cervix was, God made it possible to grow life within me again. And as stressful a time we had in the NICU, God’s miraculous hand was at work, bringing supernatural healing to my son. Through my experience and the support of my Moms in Prayer group, I came to know God is true to His character and His nature never fails. He is always deserving of our praise and He will always get the glory out of this story.
Through my experience and the support of my Moms in Prayer group, I came to know God is true to His character and His nature never fails.
PRAY WITH ME
Dear Heavenly Father,
I come to You today praising You for your faithfulness and thanking You for the miracle of life. Lord, I ask You to wrap Your loving arms around moms who have experienced miscarriage and infancy loss. Help them to look past the pain and into the hope that is active in Your Word. As they grieve, Lord, remind them that their babies are with You, safe and happy. Allow these moms to make room for You to do Your healing work. Father, I ask you to grant the desires of their hearts as they look to You to do what only You can do. May You restore what was lost in their lives. Bring them joy, Father. We love You, and keep our eyes fixed on You as we submit our lives humbly to You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
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Raveena K. Pachucki is the New Jersey Moms in Prayer Social Media Coordinator. She joined Moms in Prayer in 2021. Raveena and her husband Ryan have been married since 2017. They are blessed with two baby boys. Their first precious baby, RJ, was lost in a miscarriage. The following year they were blessed with their wonderful miracle baby boy, Elias. Raveena loves spending time with her family, traveling, and cooking. She considers it a privilege and joy to share the mission of Moms in Prayer and the message of hope found in Jesus.