There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born …
Ecclesiastes 3:1-2
My parents were married for ten years without children. My mother said she saw others with children and she was happy for them. She wondered why she did not have children, but she felt certain God had a Plan.
She surrendered to His Will, whatever it might be.
In the tenth year, she became pregnant. My parents rejoiced!
However, when the time of birth came, there were significant complications. My mother’s water broke, but labor did not progress. After many hours of agonizing labor, the doctor came out and told my father it was likely either my mother or my brother or both would be lost.
The doctor asked my father, if it came down to a choice, which one he would like saved. My father refused to make that choice, instead asking God and the doctor to save them both.
More hours passed while my father paced up and down outside the delivery room and prayed.
Both my mother and a healthy son lived. My brother grew up to be, among many other things, a father, grandfather, and great grandfather. He also became a wonderful Bible teacher. He has been The Promise fulfilled to a praying father and laboring mother.
My parents rejoiced in the raising of their son. Ten more years passed. In the tenth year, my brother got the mumps. My father “caught” the mumps also. Having the mumps as an adult male often assured sterility.
But in the eleventh year, my mother became pregnant again and nine months later, I was born. Again, it was a difficult birth, as I was breech. Again, there was prayer and hard labor. But my mother and I survived.
My father jokingly told the nurse when they left the hospital, “We’ll see you in twelve years.” Twelve years later, my brother’s first child was born!
Each of us … my brother and I … and everyone in God’s Creation was born at a time designated by God. In fact, each of our ancestors came along, moving the line forward to make it possible for us to be here at just this moment.
You are here in this time and place to be a living testimony of Your Creator. The people you influence will influence others and Life will move forward.
And perhaps one day, as this song beautifully illustrates, God will allow you to see all those who were touched by your life, even though you never met in the flesh.
I invite you to take a few moments and reflect on all those who have touched your life. Thank God for them. And thank God for all those He will bring into your life.
And never, ever doubt The Power of connecting to The Creator of The Universe through prayer!
