by Mike Durbin
PLYMOUTH, MI – Hi Silas and Abel, your mommy and daddy asked Grandma and I to record a message so you could hear our voices. It’s such a great idea! I’m Papa by the way and I want you to know my voice and hear it often. From the moment you were born January 16th, Grandma and I have longed to hold you and welcome you into our lives. Though our arms remain empty because of the special care you need, you are held firmly in our hearts and surrounded in our love.
I remember when your parents told us the news they were expecting. We barely got seated in the restaurant before your daddy told us that they were going to have a baby. Joy flooded our hearts. You are the answer to multiple prayers offered years before that special moment.
We couldn’t stop smiling. As we drove away from dinner, Grandma said: “Wouldn’t it be great to have twins?” Your mommy is a twin and some say that it’s not uncommon for twins to have twins. Imagine our surprise when we got the call that next day that you were indeed twins!
A few days later we got another call. One that introduced us to a whole new vocabulary. Your mommy told us that you were MoMo Twins, meaning that you were identical twins sharing the same amniotic sack. Your Momma’s pregnancy would be special in a way that few are. You would face challenges as you developed in the womb - especially as your cords wrapped around each other much like a braid. That braid posed potential challenges to your health. Your daddy, and especially your mommy, made incredible sacrifices to give you life.
One of our many prayers for you came from the Bible: “For it was you who created my inward parts; you knit me together in my mother’s womb” (Psalm 139:13). We entrusted you to God - asking Him to knit both of you together in His miraculous way.
And here you are! You are born into a world full of wonder. Your 3½ or so pounds look so tiny, yet you are perfect in every way. Right now, you are surrounded by caring doctors, nurses, and machines in the NICU that are helping you grow, but soon you will enter a whole new world! Your mommy and daddy will introduce you to a world that is beyond anything you can even begin to comprehend. And Silas and Abel, you will introduce your parents to the world in a whole new way. Your growth, your discoveries, your looks of surprise, laughter, and even tears will take them to depths of wonder they didn’t know existed.
The fun part is that Grandma and I get to experience it with you too! We can’t wait.
Like you, your world is pretty small right now. It won’t stay that way. Beyond the walls, and all the medical devices, are scores and scores of people who are praying for you. We are grateful for each one. It means the world to us!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mike Durbin is the State Evangelism Director for the Baptist State Convention of Michigan. Before joining the state convention staff, Mike served as Church Planting Catalyst and Director of Missions in Metro Detroit since 2007. He also has served as a pastor and bi-vocational pastor in Michigan, as well as International Missionary to Brazil.