Perhaps you’ve seen the story this week on social media or read about it in the news. It’s another story about the miracle of life and God’s gifts.  For those of you that haven’t, let me share it with you.  

Ian and Britani McIntire of Hutchinson Kansas are parents to two beautiful girls. They learned a while ago that Britani was pregnant with twins: a boy and a girl. They were thrilled with the news. They named their babies Mason and Madelyn. Not long ago, they were given the sad news that Mason was not likely going to survive. He has a hole in his heart and has limited brain activity.  The doctors are not able to perform the surgery he would need to live because of his brain function. His sister weighs approximately 2 lbs at this point and he weighs about 9 ounces. 

The McIntires were extremely sad over this news. However, in the midst of their sadness, they received a gift. They had a sonogram that filled them with complete wonder. They decided to share the ultra sound pictures with their local news outlets because it was so amazing. It shows Mason reaching for Madelyn’s hand and she, taking his hand and holding it, comforting him. 

Their response to this was, “We now know we will have a piece of them together that will last forever.”  Britani was told by the ultrasound tech that normally twins are active with each other hitting and kicking.  This was a rare sight.  In my mind, these pictures speak volumes about life and what a gift it can truly be.

The McIntires have said they are leaving this in God’s hands. They are praying for a miracle but know that they will always be grateful to God for the gift of both of their babies. They are prepared to accept whatever God decides.

Every life has meaning. Every life is a gift. Madelyn will learn when she is older that she had a brother that loved her and needed her. What a tremendous gift God has given to her and her family—and she hasn’t even been born yet. 

What is the true message God is telling us here? 

Twenty-five years ago someone close to me had a baby at five and a half months into her pregnancy. Her baby was still born. My daughter was in the first grade at the time. She shared with her first grade teacher, Sister Ellen Therese, the story of her loss and the sadness she felt. Sister told the children in the class when a child dies, “Mother Mary is there to take care of them until their own parents can join them in heaven”. My daughter is an adult with a daughter of her own. I can’t help but think this was a lesson that was invaluable to her taught to her in the first grade.

Sometimes we can’t understand when we get devastating news such as that of the McIntires. We wonder why God would give us such a devastating blow.  Like the McIntires, we will all pray for a miracle. Either way, they have accepted the chance of losing their son.  They said that if this happens they will always have an angel watching out for his sister Madelyn and his family. They gave us all a gift by sharing their pictures of the ultrasound. The miracle is that God provides life and each life will touch our souls in some way. We will join them in praying for their family, but we also want to thank them for reminding us of God’s gifts of life!