He Hears …

The snowdrops are blooming under my Japanese Maple tree and they remind me how fragile and fleeting life can be.  They’re delicate little flowers, you know.  Loners, too.  While most of their friends don’t make an appearance until the fair winds blow, these little guys bring hope for the Spring to come by popping out of the ground while the air still has the power to take your breath away.

Unlike last year, Spring tarries here at the cottage-by-the-creek.  The furnace still hums, the dreary all-weather mats still guard my back door, and my flannels still keep me warm at night.  But I don’t doubt that Spring is coming because it’s never let me down before.  I have faith it will soon arrive.

So as various challenges arose over the course of the last several months, I held onto Jesus’ capable hand because He’s never let me down before either.  I spent a lot of time talking to Him – asking Him to bless the soon-to-be-born baby my daughter was carrying, asking Him to care for Kelly throughout the birth process, and asking Him to endow the baby with good gifts and the discernment to know how to use them for His glory.  The challenges became more serious as the weeks ticked by but because I’ve seen God intimately answer prayer before, it should not have surprised me when He powerfully answered our prayers at a critical time.  And yet it did.

Kelly struggled with gestational diabetes and gestational hypertension throughout the latter part of her pregnancy.  She had no previous experience with these issues but like it or not, they showed up and had to be dealt with.  As a result, without much warning, Kelly was sent to Women’s and Children’s Hospital in downtown Buffalo two weeks prior to her due date and our sweet little Theodore was forced from his snug nest.

She checked into the hospital Wednesday night and the Pitocin drug was administered.  After a sleepless night on the drip, she was progressing slowly and her strength was waning.  Her contractions were “unproductive,” the nurses said.  The hypertension was the most worrisome factor and the cause for the induction.  I couldn’t get Sybil from Downton Abbey out of my head!  So after hours and hours of little progress, I went over to the bed and Jeremy, Kelly and I joined together and prayed for the contractions to strengthen and for God to intervene in this situation.  Did you know that when you invite God to the party, He always shows up?  It’s true!

As we stood around the bed watching the monitor, we noticed a marked increase in the height and strength of the contractions.  We could barely believe our eyes and immediately gave God the glory.  Talk about intimate, immediate answer to prayer!  I shouldn’t have been surprised but yet I was because the change was almost instantaneous.  Before too long, Kelly was almost fully dilated.  It was amazing.  Our fears of another long night in labor vanished as we recognized God’s intervention and mercy first-hand.

The hospital staff was quite surprised the next time they came in to check on things.  Suddenly it became, “All hands on deck,” so to speak.  The labor room was transformed into a delivery room before my eyes and I had the privilege of assisting in the birth of my first grandchild.  Kelly and Jeremy opted to NOT find out the gender of the baby, which is very rare these days, so the dozen or so people in the room cheered when the doc said, “It’s a boy!”  I whispered, “Praise God!”

Listen to my cry for help, my King and my God, for to you I pray.”                                          Psalm 5:2

Three days later, on Easter Sunday, my dear niece who was due to have her third baby in late September, started spotting.  She learned the next day that her baby had died.  So as our family was rejoicing, we were also grieving for the little one that didn’t make it.  Life is fragile and fleeting, just like the pure white snowdrops.  But just as we can count on Spring following Winter, we can count on God to comfort us and care for us.  He allows much.  He’s often quiet.  He doesn’t always respond the way we think He should or hope He does.  But He always honors our faith.  “Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.”  Hebrews 11:6.
So as Springtime begins to emerge in my neck of the woods and the signs of new life pop open around me, I’ll be pondering life and death, grateful for both because it’s in both that we can see the hand of God.  Soon the snowdrops will fade from sight, replaced by the colorful daffodils and tulips.  But I have faith they’ll be back.  Keep the faith, friends.  Jesus never fails.

Originally posted on: Cottage and Creek