Giver of Life: Part 1

Until only a few short days ago, I have had the privilege of watching the miracle of birth three times. And with each occurrence, I have been moved to tears and filled with awestruck wonder at the power, majesty and craftsmanship of our Great God. And in that instant, when my eyes first gaze upon His beautiful creation, I find myself humbled by His amazing grace and love. It is in that moment of overwhelming joy that I am often reminded of David’s prayer in Psalm 139, “You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother's womb. I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; wonderful are Your works, and my soul knows it very well.” I have to admit, prior to becoming a father, my soul didn’t “know it very well” at all. Sure, I read David’s words, but I did not appreciate them. It was only after witnessing the glorious occasion of the birth of our children that I was truly enabled to comprehend the sentiment of the psalmist.

On August 27, 2008, our lives were once again blessed with the birth of a child as we welcomed Sophie Grace into the world. The emotions that were building and the connection that had been forming for nine months culminated in those first few moments of life. Smiles appear, tears come, and hearts overflow. If you’ve been there, then you are intimately acquainted with the experience. If you have not, there is no way to properly convey the multitude of emotions bombarding your senses. To say that you are overwhelmed, ecstatic, frightened, joyous, and peaceful all at the same time only scratches the surface. Without question, the phenomenon is far beyond my feeble ability to describe, but one thing is certain. It is beautiful.

In Psalm 127, Solomon declares that “Children are a gift of the LORD, the fruit of the womb, a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one's youth. How blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them.” I’ve often wondered why I have been blessed with so precious a gift. What did I ever do or accomplish to deserve so great a reward? My conclusion is always the same: absolutely nothing. It is merely another act of unmerited favor from the Giver of Grace, and to Him I am forever grateful.

I wish that I could draw this story to an end with something like “and we lived happily ever after until the end of our days.” But that was not to be. Trials come, struggles ensue and the journey of life continues. For Princess Sophie it was a struggle to breathe. At first not even the medical staff noticed. Only the knowing sense of a mother that something was not quite right with her baby gave any indication. But that story must wait for another day, another post. It will be told soon, but not yet. For now, come and celebrate with us for we have been given a gift. The Giver of Life has offered and we have received a daughter.