Encouragement

I wanted to write some thoughts on Grace's birth - not so much to give the birth story as to give thanks to the Lord for his encouragement to me in the birth story. Because of many factors I had worked myself up to a rather anxious level in regard to labor. There are some in my family who are convinced I will die in child birth. There is the medical establishment giving me higher risks of everything because of my age and number of previous births. And because of my age and knowledge of many birth stories, I do know that things can go wrong and be very complicated. All this caused anxiety that I was not able to quell. In the weeks before labor my blood pressure went up (even necessitating extra doctor visits) because I was becoming so nervous. But God was gracious to me even in my fears. I went to the hospital in the middle of the night because my water broke. So I wasn't in real hard labor at that point which gave me more time to think and dwell on the impending labor. In God's providence one of my labor nurses was the youngest of 20 children! Her mom delivered her at age 52 and never had any complications with any pregnancy or delivery. It may seem a small thing to others, but to me it was the hand of a loving God. It was such a comfort to me to talk to this nurse and her encouragement to me allowed me to go on and face the delivery without the fear I had been having. Isn't it wonderful to know we serve a God who cares about our fears - even when we should be trusting Him and not having them in the first place! (Oh and the nurse's mom lived to be 95 and her dad is still alive at 107 so the "stress of having all those children" didn't seem to affect them much!)

I had thought of this baby as "Grace" the whole pregnancy as I was amazed that God would entrust me with another child when I know I don't deserve one. His placement of this nurse in my labor room only made me more thankful of His grace to me.

But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love
and faithfulness. Psalm 86:15