By Summer Ratcliff

November 20, 2006

Growing up, I remember asking my mom, “Mom, can I please have a baby brother or sister?” I probably asked her this a thousand times, yet the answer was still always the same, “When God wants you to have one He will give you one.” Time went on and as I got older my hopes of having a little brother or sister quickly faded. We had decided in our minds that my mother would never be able to bare children.

 

During my sophomore year in high school, on my 16^th birthday, my mom informed me that God finally said it was time for me to have a little brother or sister. My mom was pregnant and I was ecstatic! However, only two weeks later, my mom had a miscarriage. I was devastated. My world came crashing down. As a young girl all I wanted was a little brother or sister to love and play with, and for a split second that hope was going to become a reality.

 

A little over a year later, on Father’s Day, my mom announced to my dad and I that she was again expecting. I was so excited, but also nervous. I prayed all the time that God would keep that baby safe and allow me to finally have my baby brother or sister to love. In January 2005, just four months before my high school graduation, my mom had a beautiful baby girl. Leah Lanae quickly became the light of my life and my best friend. God had worked a miracle and given me my gift!

 

That same year in August I packed all of my belongings and moved to St. Louis to attend Gateway College of Evangelism. Two months later I got a call from my mom and dad. They were calling to inform me that I was again going to have a little brother or sister. I was slightly surprised by this. Once the shock wore off I was excited that our family would have another addition.

 
A Major Miracle

In March 2006, while driving my two nanny children home from school on the interstate I was rear ended and my car was totaled. By the grace of God all three of us walked away from the accident unharmed. God had His angels surrounding my vehicle that day. It is a miracle that we were not seriously hurt. 

 

In June 2006, my mom had another beautiful baby girl. Heidi Laine immediately stole my heart just as Leah had a year and a half earlier. Now, not only did we have one miracle baby, we had two. God had blessed our family with another great bundle of joy.

 

Due to the fact that my mom had two small children she became a stay-at-home mom. My dad became the sole provider and breadwinner of our household. This was difficult at times, but our family was managing to stay on top of things.

 
Sacrificing My Dreams

Then in August 2006 my dad’s job suddenly faded away. Our family was left with no source of income.

 

While all of this was unfolding in West Virginia, I was almost a thousand miles away going into my second year at Gateway. I had decided over the summer that I would only be a part-time student for a semester because I did not have the finances to attend full time. I took as many credits as I could with the small amount of money that I had received from my grandmother as a gift. 

 

I had been praying and had even fasted for my dad to find a job and he was still having no luck.  During my prayer time one day I began to pray and intercede again for this situation. I began to feel so strong in my spirit exactly what God wanted me to do. He basically told me that if I wanted to be blessed in my life and in my ministry and if I wanted to be prosperous that I would have to sacrifice.  I was going to have to give up something that I had always wanted and that I loved.

 

Two days later I withdrew from Gateway, which was an extremely hard thing for me to do. It had been a dream of mine for years to be at Gateway and now I was sacrificing that so my family could use the money that I had paid for my classes. I went to the post office and mailed my parents a check for $1,000. It was a hard thing to trust God for. I knew what God had told me and I knew that if I did this my dad was going to find a job.

 
Except God Remembered

Now as you probably remember my car was totaled in March. By the beginning of September I was still awaiting a settlement from the insurance company at fault. I needed to receive at least $3,500 to be able to purchase a new vehicle. When I spoke with the insurance agent to agree on a settlement he said he was only going to give me $2,500. He informed me that due to the fact that he had sent me a pre-settlement check of $1,000 that the check he was sending me would be for $1500. I accepted this simply because I knew I could not wait any longer. I began to become worried that I was not going to be able to purchase a vehicle. I was reminded by a still small voice that God was going to provide.

 

Two days after my settlement with the insurance I received the check in the mail. When I opened it I quickly realized that it was written for $2,500! This meant that I had a total of $3,500 to place towards purchasing a new vehicle. God had provided just as He said He would!

 
And Then He Remembered Again

A little over two weeks later I was checking my mail and noticed an envelope from the hospital that we were taken to after the wreck. My heart sunk. I just knew that it was going to be an unpaid bill and now that I had settled with the insurance company this would be my responsibility to pay. I reluctantly opened it. Inside I found a check for over $750. The check said that I had overpaid. The neat thing is this: I never paid a penny out of my pocket to that hospital! God had again given me a large piece of money that I was not expecting to receive.

 

The next evening at our Wednesday night youth service I shared my story with the group. Our youth pastor had spoken about taking a step of faith and seeing signs and wonders in our day and age. I told them that my dad had not yet found a job but that I knew he was going to find one and he was going to be able to provide for my family. I encouraged the youth group to step out in faith and that if they did they would get their miracle just as I had and was going to get!

 

Many miracles happened during the altar call that night. It was an amazing service and God moved and touched so many lives. Two weeks later my dad was offered and took a great job! He is really enjoying it. He is not making as much as he should be and needs to be, however, I know that God is going to continue to provide for my family and he will get the raise that he needs.

 

Through this test I have learned that if you just prove your faith to God and show Him that you trust Him in everything, He will provide. God can do anything. If He was able to calm the seas, or feed 5,000 with just two fish and five loaves of bread, why do we not believe He can meet our need? He can. He is simply asking us to show Him that we have faith in Him. He will meet your need and give you a miracle if you simply believe.

 

ninetyandnine.com

© 2006, Summer Ratcliff

 

---------

Summer Ratcliff is an employee at Reuters America. She attends New Life Center in Bridgeton, MO where she is active in teaching Sunday School, interning with the youth group, and singing in the choir. Her favorite people in the world are her dad, mom, two baby sisters, and a boyfriend named Joel!