A Birth Story...

...in which all the gory details are omitted.

Something about the “Just Say No” anti-drug campaign has stuck with me from my elementary school days. Whether it’s street drugs or prescription drugs…just don’t make me take them. I’d like to get through life with as little intervention from doctors and medicine as possible. Don’t get me wrong--I’m very thankful for knowledgeable, skilled doctors and for life-saving drugs. I believe they are gifts from God. But in general, I’d prefer not to have a reason to use them.

When Caleb was born, my labor was induced due to being so far past my due date. So as my daughter’s due date approached and passed, I geared myself up to be pumped full of drugs in order to start the labor and delivery process, yet I was not excited about it. Intellectually, I could agree with the logical reasons and statistics for induction. I hadn’t had a bad experience with induction when Caleb was born. (He was definitely worth it!) But emotionally, I could not reconcile myself to the idea of inducing labor. Induction was something I’d do because I had to, not because I wanted to. Therefore, I reluctantly scheduled the induction with my doctor’s office for Wednesday morning.

About the same time, I asked a few good friends to pray. I asked them to pray that God would reign over my emotions and show his goodness and sovereignty through the labor process—however it happened. I also, rather flippantly, asked them to pray that I’d go into labor on my own Tuesday evening.

Around 2:30 am on Tuesday morning, I woke to a few real contractions. Could Tuesday be the day? As the day wore on, I took Caleb to the park, ate Indian food, and took a 2.5 mile walk with Caleb, all halfway hoping to induce labor without drugs. Nothing.

Tuesday evening my mom drove to town, as planned, so she’d be ready to take care of Caleb while we were in the hospital being induced on Wednesday. That evening, Tuesday evening, the evening my friends were praying about, real labor started and continued. Sophia Constance was born the next day…as “planned.”


Because I went into labor on my own Tuesday evening and Sophia was born on Wednesday:
-my mom was already in town, ready to take care of Caleb.
-I trusted the doctor on call.
-I didn't need to be pumped full of drugs all day!
-labor and delivery went very smoothly (and therefore, recovery is going well, too).
-Luke was able to delegate tasks at work before taking time off.
-We were able to see God at work.

God was so very good to us. I know God could have shown me his sovereignty, his power, and his love in any number of ways through Sophia’s birth. But in this instance, I will remember that God heard my prayers. I will remember that God graciously answered my prayers when I am so undeserving of his answer. And I will remember that God wisely and lovingly gives us exactly what we need (and even what we want sometimes).

How have you seen God answer your prayers lately?