A Special Gift

Carolyn’s Online Magazine

A SPECIAL GIFT

NOTE: On the eve of January 17, 1972, the skies were clear and the weather was crisp. About 2:00 a. m. January 18 my husband Monte Holland drove me to Butler Memorial Hospital, where, about 11:30 a. m., I–no, we—gave birth to our son Nolan.  

  HAPPY BIRTHDAY, NOLAN,

Nolan, January 18, 1972

FROM MOM AND DAD!

 SCRIPTURE: Genesis   25:21; 21:2; 30:22; Judges 13:2; 1 Samuel 1:19-20   25:21. And Isaac entreated the Lord for his wife, because she was barren: and the Lord was  entreated of him, and Rebekah his wife conceived.  21:2. For Sarah conceived,….  30:22. And God remembered Rachel, and God hearkened to her, and opened her womb. 13:2 And there was a certain man of Zorah, of the family of the Danites, whose name was Manoah, and his wife was barren and bare not.  1:19. …And Elkanah knew Hannah his wife; and the Lord remembered her.  20. Wherefore it came to pass, when the time was come about after Hannah had conceived….(KJV)

Luke 1:13 …and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John.  24. And after those days his wife Elisabeth conceived,…(KJV)

Related Scripture:   Mary 3:10-11

DISCUSSION:  Concerning Jacob and Esau, the off-spring of Rebekah’s infertility, they were prayed for. Their parents, after they had been long childless, obtained them by prayer. After Abraham was married 20 years, he had no child. But he prayed. He prayed for his wife; some read it with his wife. The Jews have a tradition that Isaac, at length, took his wife with him to Mount Moriah, where God had promised he would multiply Abraham’s seed. And there, in his prayer with her and for her, pleaded the promise made  in that very place. God heard his prayer and was entreated of Abraham. And Rebekah became pregnant with two nations in her womb. (1=44)

REFLECTION:  Infertility, an age-old problem, is rampant today.

I walked with Marie on her infertility journey as much as I was able to, considering time and distance restraints. Her resolution was international adoption. But Marie, as only she could, added a twist: she and husband Tom applied for twins.

As she rode the roller coaster of the wait, discouragement at delays set in.

At one point, I was prompted to send her a gift, a gingham-print lap-quilt in soft pastel shades (it was likely she would be getting girls—China does not let their boys be adopted outside the country) and sent it to her. She thanked me, saying it was great I had remembered her struggle and her gingham decorating pattern.

I laughed to myself: I hadn’t remembered. I had been moved to send the quilts, moved to choose gingham. The Holy Spirit moves in astonishing ways!

I pray her wait will be short, and her empty arms will be filled with children.

   Note: In May 1997, on her return home from doing her fourth Mother’s Day Retreat for infertile women and couples, Marie learned of her daughter, an 18-month old baby girl she will pick up in China in July. Ten days before her departure to China she learned she was expecting.

PRAYER:

Nolan in my arms shortly after we left the hospital.

Lord, those of us who experienced infertility are especially thankful to you for the unexpected gifts of our children, no matter how they come to us. Thank you, thank you, thank you.  Amen.

Read more devotions in the regular Devotions Category and/or Easter/Holy Week Devotions Category