Wonder of Wonders

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When a woman is 9 months pregnant, there’s no doubt in anyone’s mind a baby will soon be born. But when a woman is 9 months and 7 days pregnant, everyone begins to wonder (especially the mother) if she’ll be pregnant forever.

Linnea woke this morning feeling fine on her regular 6:00 am walk but by 7:30 was wondering whether or not today might be D-day. When I came out of my room at 7:45, we chatted about several other things while Skylar and Micah played nearby, and then she brought up the situation.

Since she and Adam were hoping to have the baby in the comfort of their own home this time around, we decided it would be wise to call the midwives, located an hour away. Adam was at work, and the children’s other grandma, their babysitter for the day of birth whenever it arrived, was 45 minutes away.

At 9:00 am Linnea decided she was in labor. By 10:00 Adam was home, the children were gone, but the midwives and doula (Adam’s sister Aron) were still at large. It looked like Linnea, Adam and I would be meeting the baby by ourselves, and although Adam and I shared a few panicky glances, we never let the laboring Linnea see or hear our nervousness. I asked him for their turkey baster (for suctioning) and he whispered, “The midwives don’t do that.” And that was the end of our collective baby delivery knowledge.

At 10:27, the midwife arrived literally 5 seconds ahead of baby Autumn Faith, just in time to make the catch without taking off her jacket or putting on sterile gloves. Linnea, Adam and I simultaneously burst into tears of joy and relief while the midwife calmly took care of business. Aron walked in during baby’s first cry, and the second midwife a few minutes after that.

There is no greater miracle than a baby being brought into the world, and hours later our awe was still intense as we marveled at what had happened.

We wondered how anyone could participate in a birth and separate the process from God himself. Only he could put together what we witnessed this morning. Only he could design the intricacies of a new baby’s body, equipping it to change seamlessly from living in a watery world to breathing air. And only he could establish an eternal soul within that body, creating a person who will live eternally, because he made it so.

Tonight we are still in a collective daze, all of us brimming with good cheer, not just because a child has been born but because we were allowed to participate in the wonder of what God accomplished in our midst. Our celebratory toast included lavish prayers of gratitude, and since the pressure was off, the pregnancy was over, and the baby was safely delivered, a heartfelt Scripture:

“The desire accomplished is sweet to the soul.” (Proverbs 13:19a)

Thank you, Lord.

Flight of Fantasy

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Linnea and her family have lived in Florida for 8 years, 1200 long miles away from me. But it’s a lovely place to visit during a Midwestern winter, and because they live in the central part of the state, I got to fly into Orlando, an airport with many flight choices and good prices. My grandbaby is a week overdue today, and I’m thrilled to be part of the welcoming committee.

Orlando International is popular with families because of Disney World, destination of endless delights. And quite a few plane passengers begin their vacations the minute they board. Princess tiaras, Mickey Mouse ears, and “Cars” t-shirts abound, adding a playful atmosphere to basic air travel. Occasionally flight attendants will get in the spirit of things too, coaxing passengers to sing “M-I-C-K-E-Y…” and telling the kids how excited Cinderella is that they’ll be visiting her castle.

I remember my first trip to Disneyland in Anaheim, California (long before Disney World existed). It was the late 1950’s, and the much smaller theme park was big stuff to us. Entrance was under $2 (now $75), and our California cousins showed us a wonderful time.

Disneyland’s Main Street was lined with tantalizing shops that promised happiness with every purchase, and we begged our parents for Snow White toothbrushes and Tinkerbelle fairy dust. Leaving the park, our enthusiasm ran high for all things Disney. In the weeks that followed our California trip, however, other infatuations pushed Mickey and company to the back of our minds.

And that’s the thing. Out of sight often becomes out of mind, and not just for grade school kids.

We adults have the same problem. We might decide to read through the Bible in a year, then hit Leviticus and quit. Or maybe we attend a spiritual retreat and come away with 10 pounds of literature and a resolve to go deep with the Lord but then never empty our shopping bag. Or we become convicted during a sermon and promise to rout sin out of our lives, but after a few failures, we stop trying. Or we attempt to memorize Scripture but lose our zeal when the verses won’t stick.

Is it possible to maintain enthusiasm for something when we’d rather put it on the back burner? I think of Jesus, living a victorious life against tremendous odds and wonder how he accomplished it. Scripture gives the answer: he refused to stray very far from his Father. They partnered continually through prayer, sometimes all night long, and that collaboration was the key to his success.

Amazingly, we have the same option, not to be sinless, but to partner with the Father. Teaming with God is the key to successfully tussling with temptation, especially the temptation to quit trying. And if we turn away from him, the result is much like leaving Disneyland. Out of sight is out of mind.

The Father is out of sight, but may our partnership with him never be out of mind.

“Some people hear God’s Word “with enthusiasm, but the enthusiasm doesn’t go very deep. It’s only another fad, and the moment there’s trouble, it’s gone.” (Luke 8:11,13 The Message)

Rational Fear

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Jack is like all dogs, wanting to go along whenever I leave the house. He accompanies me to church, the dentist, Bible study, and on errands, content to nap in the back seat. Today, though, I decided to leave him at home and patted his head on my way out.

But I just couldn’t turn away from his pleading eyes. “Alright. I guess you can go.”

So off we went to make 5 stops. First up was Walgreens, and I pulled into a parking spot 8 cars away from the entrance. While reaching for my purse and list, another car pulled in on my left. The driver went into the store while his burly passenger stepped out and stood next to my door.

This man was agitated about something, shaking his head and shouting. He stood outside my window facing me, his stomach no more than inches away. He didn’t move but kept shouting at no one in particular while lighting a cigarette.

Fear washed over me, and I looked at my door lock button: open. If I locked the doors in front of him, would it offend him? Would he follow me when I left Walgreens?

A minute passed and he didn’t move. Neither did I, and my gut told me I was in danger… until I remembered who was napping in the back seat. In a raspy whisper tinged with fear I said, “Jack!” and like a shot he was up on all fours facing the window. And the man.

Immediately the intimidating stranger became the intimidated, stepping away from my door and onto the sidewalk, eyes locked on Jack. I started the car, backed away, and headed for errand #2.

While driving, I thought about God’s promise. “Fear not, I am with you.”

“But Lord, a stranger just threatened me! And I was afraid!”

What does God mean by asking us not to fear? He isn’t into feel-good platitudes that have no bite to them in an emergency. His promises are practical, and he personally stands behind them, so I don’t think he means we shouldn’t feel afraid. To the contrary, I think my in-the-moment fear was his gift to help me assess the danger and decide to leave.

So what about God’s statement not to fear?

I think he’s saying, “Because I’m with you, this situation will ultimately end in victory. I’ll settle the score, have no fear about that.”

While that might not be as comforting as we’d like, in the same passage where he says not to fear, he also says, I’ve chosen you… I’ve called you… I’ll help you… I’ll uphold you… I’ll strengthen you…

I promise.

No matter what might have happened in the parking lot today (even an attack), God would have kept those promises to help, to strengthen, whether before, during or after. I’m thankful it turned out as it did and am also thankful for Jack, who will now be my permanent errand-running buddy.

“Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you.” (Isaiah 41:10)