BEFORE YOU WERE IN THE WOMB
I KNEW YOU
your womb is open. It was closed and
there was absolutely no sign of the other
Going by modern standards, Sharon and Marshall Redwood,
children are a delight to behold with each
having a distinct, fun-loving personality.
baby,” she said.
Over the years, it appears that Sharon
her husband of 17 years, have a large family consisting of 4
As if the circumstances of her pregnancy
and Marshall have made good on
children: Israel, age 10, Immanuel (8), Isabel (7), and Elizabeth
weren’t incredible enough, Sharon shares
the
(2). According to Sharon, she started having children late, 6
that prior to even becoming pregnant
predestined children. “Israel is 10 now.
to 7 years into marriage, largely because she was completing
she received a prophetic word about her
He got baptized 3 years ago and he was
her studies. During that time, she became fearful that she
firstborn son.
so passionate about wanting to give his
might not be able to have children, and unkind comments
didn’t make it any easier. “People wey kill up themselves a
“About 3 years before he was born, a
study, a cause dem cyan breed yuh nuh,” she remembered
friend and I were praying and she told
hearing. “So I was really worried,” she told Family and Faith
me that the Lord said the child that he is
Magazine.
going to bless me with should be called
Israel, and Israel means overcomer.” The
That gnawing fear would however quickly subside with her
‘overcoming’ boy was born in October
first pregnancy. Still, even though God was clearly with her
2004. The following year, he was joined
family, the journey wasn’t free of serious challenges. “In 2004,
by his brother Immanuel and then in 2007
I was pregnant with twins and they were in different sacs
by a sister, Isabel, but the Redwood’s
and I was very excited, but it was short-lived because then I
quiver wasn’t quite full as yet. Sharon
started having some difficulties. One (of the twins) was always
remembers another message from God
very active, busy, moving up and down and the other was
about the birth of a fourth child.
spiritual
development
of
these
life to the Lord. And a year and a half
ago, his brother and sister came saying
they want to give their lives to the Lord.
So Immanuel and Isabel got baptized
together.”
It
all
sounds
very
much
like a Christian fairy-tale of wonderful
children being prophesied about before
conception, like the great prophets in
the Bible, such as Jeremiah. However
the Redwoods have not left the raising of
their children to chance.
one of the babies. When I went to the hospital I was really
“So Isabel is 6 months old and I am nursing
STRATEGIES FOR RAISING
GODLY CHILDREN
worried because that night they didn’t have the machines
and a church sister calls from Atlanta and
As part of their family tradition and
and nobody was available to check if there was another
says Sharon the Lord says he is going to
their efforts to ensure that their children
baby left, so I went home that night not knowing whether I
bless you with a fourth child, and the Lord
experience God, the Redwoods have
lost one or two (babies),” she recalled. Sharon was 3-months
said the name should be Elizabeth.” It
Holy Communion at home as a family on
pregnant during that horrifying time.
must have been a challenge to process
a weekly basis. “Between Monday and
that word when 3 other young children
“I went to do the ultra sound the following day and there
Tuesday each week we come together
demanded
Marshall’s
was one child still there but the miraculous thing about it was
at the table and have Communion.
attention, but they embraced the word
that my womb was closed. Normally you have a miscarriage,
Marshall always makes them read a
and Elizabeth was born in 2012. The 4
section of the Bible that speaks about
just always very quiet. And then one day my body aborted
8
Family and Faith Magazine
|
Sharon
and
www.familyandfaithmagazine.com
|
Monday, January 5, 2015