Lynda Jones with baby Myah
BY DEXTER MCCREE, Feature Writer
ST. PETERSBURG — The traditional Christmas story is about a baby who is the perfect gift to humankind born under imperfect conditions. Pastor Anthony Jones and his wife Lynda knows this story all too well because they have one of their own.
Their daughter Myah was born a micro-preemie at one pound seven ounces. She started life out on a rough journey with a grade four brain bleed and had to stay at the hospital for 16 weeks.
The Jones’ predictable way of life had suddenly changed. The odds were stacked against Myah. The chances of her living a healthy life with no disabilities were zero.
Some parents may have delivered the child and let it pass away; however, her parents wanted to give their daughter a chance at life despite what others thought, including the medical staff.
The next few months became an anxious waiting game. The Jones questioned whether their baby girl would survive her stay in the Neuro Intensive Care Unit without developing a life-threatening infection and if she would reach her developmental milestones.
They would not know the answers to their questions for years.
Pastor Jones refused to accept that his baby girl would succumb to the challenges of her premature conditions. Dressed in his armor of faith, he took his Bible and declared war on the spiritual enemy.
“The Bible says that the affectionate fervent prayer of the righteous avails much,” said Anthony Jones.
He and his wife believed that God would heal their child and acted on what they believed and not what they saw.
In prayer, Anthony Jones received the word “Exodus” from God. Not knowing exactly what it meant, he consulted with his pastor, who explained to him that the children of Israel were exiled from Egypt.
The parents now believed that the blood would exit Myah’s brain. Much like the news of the arrival of baby Jesus, the Jones returned to the hospital, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them. Those were trying times!
One evening, Lynda Jones went to the hospital to visit Myah. She was feeling anxious to hear about the test results from her daughter’s recent brain scan. She thought she would ask the doctor if the bleeding had stopped, but at that moment she heard God’s voice:
“Whose report will you believe? My report that the blood will exit, or will you believe the doctor’s report?”
She responded and said, “Lord, I will believe your report that Myah is healed.”
That same evening while visiting her little girl’s bedside, the doctor shared that Myah’s brain scan showed that the blood was finally drying up. Lynda Jones fell to her knees in tears of joy.
She begins thanking God for healing their daughter as he had promised. The miracle went against all odds of science or medical prediction, but not against the report of the Lord. All the Jones could do was cry and rejoice. God’s Word is true.
Today, Myah is a 15-year-old honor student at Northside Christian School. She said her mission in life is to “give back.” Her career aspiration is to become a civil rights attorney.
As for her parents, they share a few key life lessons learned along the way of this journey.
“First, always start from a position of optimism. We can find possibilities in the darkest situations if we stay faithful to God,” shared Lynda Jones. “Second, be prepared to be surprised by what God can do with the little that you have to offer.”
To reach Dexter McCree, email dmccree@theweeklychallenger.com
