This week was beyond belief. Wednesday morning, July 18thy, Karen planned to take me out for my 57th birthday. We were getting ready when the phone rang. It was our daughter Jennifer, who was pregnant with a little boy baby, due in mid August.
She was having cramps or contractions. They were regular, and consistent. Mom and I yelled into the phone, call your doctor. An hour later we were in the maternity ward of St. Bernardine Hospital.
They gave Jen medicine to slow down the contractions. It did not work. They did the tests, had the discussions, and decided that a baby was on his way!
I had the privilege of spending my birthday with my daughter, her husband, my wife, and the extended family. I would not have wanted to be anywhere else. As the day wore on I kidded with Jen, and told her it was time to push if my grandson was to be born on my birthday! About 11:30pm I really chided her and told her we were running out of time.
As the evening wore on Karen went home for a nap and Chris joined us on the baby watch. At 5:30 am the nurse checked Jen and spoke the magic words. Nine and one half centimeters. Every woman who has had a baby knows the beauty of those words. I called Karen and told her to hurry back to the hospital. I told her not to shower, just to come. She laughed. She had showered at 4:30am, washed baby clothing, and was already dressed and ready. She made it from our house to St. B's in about 3.5 minutes. I apologize to anybody who might have been in her way! Noah was not destined to be born on my birthday, July 18th, or his mother's birthday, July 20th. He has his own birthday, July 19th.
Just before 7:00am Noah Jeremy Mcallister joined the human race! He was messy, beautiful, and early. After a brief time with mommy and daddy he was whisked off to NICU. The doctors and nurses did there thing, and did it well. But mommy and daddy only had one desire... to hold their baby boy. As the day wore on, and the nurses continued to be protective of Noah, I could see the longing building in Jennifer and Jeremy.
Friday morning, after a tearful conversation with her Doctor, the fix was put in over at NICU. A short time later we gathered at the window and watched through the glass as Jennifer and Jeremy were able to hold their baby boy. The look of loving bliss made us all cry. Noah was calm, peaceful and sleeping. Mommy and daddy had the hole in their heart filled with the dear, sweet presence of their first born son.
This weeks NCF Blog topic is love. I can't think of a clearer image of God's love for us than the look on Jennifer and Jeremy's faces as they held and cuddled Noah. The entire Bible is one long love story. It is about a God who loved us so much that He sent His only begotten son to die on a cross and shed His blood to pay the price for our sins. To open the door for our adoption as His sons and daughters, and to heal the breach that Satan used Adam and Eve to open way back in the Garden of Eden!
Don't miss the opportunity to study God's love, and our call to love, in the small epistle of 1 John. We will begin our study tomorrow at 10:00am! I pray that every member of NorthPoint joins us for this amazing journey through God's love.
I love you,
and more importantly,
God loves you,
Pastor, Poppie, Pirate, Paul
Too true to be coincidental!
ReplyDelete