Celebrating the Gift of Life

Psalm 139:13-14 (NRSV): Celebrating the Gift of Life

13 For it was you who formed my inward parts;

  you knit me together in my mother’s womb.

14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. . .

My youngest son, Luke, just turned two. He is beautiful and healthy, the typical two-year-old with a bold personality and curiosity that keeps us on our toes. And it is in the moments of reflecting on his birth and life that I am reminded about the awesome power of God.

Luke was born five-and-a-half weeks early, and Dana was in the hospital for thirty-one days prior to his birth. Every day they were in the hospital, I realized that there was nothing more I could do but pray and leave them in God’s care. Their hospitalization required my surrender. Of course I did everything I could do as a father and husband, but I felt powerless. And powerlessness is a frightening feeling. Fear, however, did not win out; God’s grace did. God gave both Dana and me the grace to persevere and grow in our faith and trust in Him.

This story ends with life’s celebration: God beautifully “knit [Luke] together in [Dana’s] womb.” Our lives have truly been blessed.

Recall a time when God blessed you, and be mindful of it this week. As the week progresses, look for the many other times God presents blessings in your days. Pray for God to show you His presence in the trials and celebrations of your experience, and He will.

Have a blessed week,

Stan