Miracle Babies

“How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”

The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Holy Spirit will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son o God.”  Luke 1:34-35

Thirty-two years ago today I was as hugely pregnant and thrilled.  Throughout Advent I thought about Mary and her pregnancy. It was thrilling to think about my own baby, expected so close to the day we celebrate Jesus’ birth.  I was healthy and happy right up until the my own journey of labor, my twenty-eight hour, excruciatingly painful, journey. All of which was very worth the product, my son Paul.

Today Paul’s wife is expecting their first child. Her journey is a bit off from Mary’s as Paul is a January baby and my grandson, who I call “Silas,” as they are keeping his name a secret, is due in March.

There is however a huge similarity between Paul and “Silas,” even before our little man makes his appearance on this earth. They are both miracle babies. Of course neither of them has quite the spectacular story of baby Jesus but because of him, his sacrifice, his love for us Paul and Silas exist.

My son was born healthy and whole, only to suffer some trauma at five days old. That first day back in the hospital I was told Paul’s life was not secure, that he may well die. A few days later, five long, torturous days later, I was told that he would live but that he would have brain damage, irreparable, possibly serious brain damage. I was given a list of the things my son would most likely not do and that list was repeated to me several times over the next three years. He did them all and always ahead of the schedule on my American baby first five years timeline. Paul is a very accomplished young man, currently working on yet another advanced degree.  So much for brain damage.

A few years ago Paul and his wife were told that it would take some medical intervention for them to have a child. Paul, being Paul, began to plan for that. As is his way, he methodically arranged just how to approach the situation. Then God showed up.

When I got the phone call that they were expecting I was thrilled, for them, for all of us. What a miracle! Praise God! But it wasn’t until a bit later in communicating with my daughter-in-love about the baby that I realized, the miracle baby is having a miracle baby.

Doesn’t that just make you smile?

We live in a world where many people scoff at the idea of miracles. Ridiculous! The fact that we live, move, speak and breathe….. Miracle! But even if you take those things for granted, look around. There are miracle stories everywhere.  If you can’t see them, start talking to people. You may be surprised at how many people have miracle stories. As I write this there are names floating through my head, Madelyn, Jared, Ann, Heather, JJ….to name just a few.

Our God is a God of the great and the small. Take a breath and thank Him for the privilege. Then ask around and see who has a miracle story to tell.