I love the quote by Albert Einstein: “There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.”
I write these words today while they are still fresh in my mind. This past week I witnessed the birth of my newest grandson, baby Bradley. For nine months, I have watched my daughter, Sarah, prepare for the birth of this new little one. This is the first time that she opted to not know the baby’s gender and be surprised at the birth. She had a few scares during her pregnancy and a miscarriage just prior to this one, but despite an ultrasound that showed a cyst on the baby’s head and some bleeding that led to her spending a few days in the hospital, baby Bradley came on time and was perfectly healthy. Each time that there were any concerns at all, we hit the floor with our knees and Sarah and baby were on the prayer chain at church. Thank God for people that will pray! This is one of our greatest weapons!
I have seen most of my grandchildren be born and no matter how many times I go through it, I am moved to tears at the miracle of birth and new life. I still say, “That first cry gets me every time!” It’s so amazing to me how that mother carries this baby in her stomach for nine months and each part of the baby is intricately formed one step at a time. You watch her belly grow, and you go with her on her escapades when she just has to have ice cream! You do it with her, knowing that she will lose her weight long before you lose yours. Before you know it, it’s time! With suitcase in hand, and an excitement you can’t even begin to describe, there you are, still half asleep and yet too excited to care, knowing that you will soon get to witness one of life’s greatest miracles, the birth of your grandchild.
The nurses hooked Sarah up to all the necessary gadgets, started the IV and the one that really captured my attention was the baby’s heartbeat, I hear this sweet little one’s heart beating so fast and with each heartbeat, it’s as if to say, “I am coming soon! Get ready to celebrate my life! What a glorious day!” I’ve already been through this many other times, but each time, it’s as if it were the first. As the contractions get more intense, I remember when I had Sarah in this same hospital. My, how things have changed since then! I remember holding her in my arms for the first time as a new mother and the love I felt. I think of the blessing she has been in my life and I know the joy she must be feeling, and yes, I do remember the pain of childbirth. That’s why only a mother knows fully when her children suffer the same pain. Pretty soon, the delivery cart is brought to the bedside and the incubator is being warmed up to house the newborn infant. Everyone is scurrying around and doing their own job. We are all cheering her on as we await the baby’s entrance. Excitement is in the air. There I am, lost in the shuffle of it all, with tears streaming down both sides of my face, knowing that this is truly a ” God thing” in the highest form! There are no words to begin to describe the beauty of this moment as I take in the gift of life coming straight from the heart of God! In just a moment, there it is, the most holy sound this side of heaven, the baby’s first cry! I still get goose bumps! All I can say is, “What a Miracle.”
I couldn’t help but notice the words written on the wall as I entered the birthing unit of the hospital, “Life…The Purest Form of a Miracle.” No truer words were ever spoken. This brings me to the conclusion of why I write this today. You matter to God! Your life is a miracle. God has a beautiful plan for your life. He watched you be born and He is still with you to this day, through the good times and the bad. He was with you at your birth and all of heaven has been cheering you on ever since! He knew you before you were even created and knitted you together in your mother’s womb. He knew all of your days before even one of them came to be. He was with you then and He is with you now, even to the very end, when your hair is white with old age. This is just the beginning of all that He has planned for you, Just like a mother knows her baby, God knows you. He knows his kids and he has great things planned for them for all of eternity.
As I watch baby Bradley sleeping on his mommy’s chest, I wonder what will he be? Will he be a doctor, a lawyer, a policeman or a preacher? Will he be a football player? Maybe a soccer player like his older brothers? Only time will tell…..But right now, he’s just a baby sleeping in his mother’s arms while the love of God enfolds in his life and molds him into that special one that God has destined for him to be since the beginning of time!
Psalm 139: 13-16
You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous-how well I know it. You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.