For years, my husband and I have been trying to conceive a second child. Our son, now almost seven, has been praying daily for a sibling since he was two years old. I will be 40 on my next birthday, so time is an issue. Neither my husband nor I have ever felt led to go the “medical route,” though every year the doctors (knowing we were trying to conceive) urged us to do all kinds of tests and procedures. We were content to wait upon the Lord, though every month my age seemed to be more and more of a factor.

Last summer I came home from the seminar and cried out to the Lord for one of two things: (1) that I would get pregnant and have a baby of our own (I even went so far as to ask for a girl), or (2) that the Lord would take this strong desire away from me. I didn’t want anything—even another child—if it wasn’t God’s perfect will for me. I remembered from the seminar that God sometimes gives whiners what they whine for, even if it isn’t His best for them.

This all happened at the end of July. In August, I found out I was pregnant! I fell on my knees in thanksgiving to the Lord, weeping tears of joy.

Interestingly enough, the day after we found out about my pregnancy, we received lab reports in the mail (my husband finally had the sperm-count test done the month before) diagnosing insufficient sperm count to get pregnant.

The ultrasounds could never be sure if it was a boy or a girl, but I knew (we had only girl names picked out and even had girl baby showers). Of course, we were overjoyed when she actually arrived and she was a she. Her name is Natalie Annice, which means “God’s gift of joy.” Praise God, our tears of crying out resulted in tears of joy.

—A Family from Florida