6am,
December 25th 2011, With three children in the house you might think I
am awake through the noise of presents being opened as I am sure many
other parents are right now. However, I write this for a much different
reason. In fact I have been awake some time knowing that I need to write
this down today, before Christmas Day starts properly in our house.
To
set the scene, Leonie, was due to give birth on the 14th of December,
but when this date passed it was clear that Christmas was drawing closer
and baby was still not making an appearance. December 23rd and we had
planned to have Leonie's mum over for Christmas dinner that day, as she
was at work on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. I decided the night
before that we may as well make December 23rd Christmas Day and open all
the gifts we had that day also.
So we had a wonderful
Christmas dinner together, prepared by my father, and then sat down and
opened all our presents together as a family. 4:53pm and Leonie started
to get uncomfortable. Nothing new there, but this was different.
Contractions had started! 7 minutes apart!
So after a call to the
hospital, we grabbed the bags and off we went. On the way it was clear
the contractions were getting stronger and with less time apart. Before
we had a room the contractions were becoming a few minutes apart. What a
relief that we made it to the hospital, how exciting that our baby
would soon be born! How great that Leonie's mum was able to be at the
birth (she sadly missed the birth of Tobias, our youngest son)!
As
we both tried to comfort her, what struck us both was Leonie's
politeness and consideration for others, even though she was going
through obvious excruciating pain!
But something was
not right. The contractions were happening too often. Up to 7 every ten
minutes! So the doctors tried to reduce this with a drug. However this
was not working. After some time they decided that it would be good to
give her an epidural. So they called for the right sort of person to
administer that. But after a while it became apparent that there was not
anyone able to do it (as the situation became quite urgent).
The doctor took some time to think and then made the decision to take Leonie in to have a C-section.
So I put on the given theatre fashion ready to be with my wife, only to find when they called me,
that it was not possible for me to join them.
They
had administered the epidural needed in theatre for the operation, but
for some strange reason it was to no effect (they were certain they
administered it properly). So they gave her a general anaesthetic so she
was completely asleep while they cut the baby out.
More
complications followed as they were still operating on her after an
hour. I was told however that baby was fine and quite big. A girl!
Finally a sister for three brothers! (Connor, Brandon and Tobias)
Weighing in at 9lbs to be precise! Which is above average.
It
was some time before I was able to see our daughter. Complications in
the operation meant that it was about midnight that my wife came around
and I was able to hold our child.
Over the next 24
hours it became apparent, that if it were not for modern technology,
Leonie and our daughter would not be here today. Why? Baby had the cord
wrapped around her neck in the womb, so if the first epidural had worked
and Leonie had given birth 'naturally' then it would have been clear
that baby would be damaged greatly, if not fatally by the cord around
the neck. In a way it is a good job that the person was not available to
do the first epidural, because this would mean baby would have been
brought out 'naturally.' Further complications in the womb were that the
bladder was stuck to the womb itself, this meant that Leonie lost 1
litre of blood and it made things difficult in finishing off the sowing
of the cut.
Nearly 24 hours after our daughter was
born, but without a name! We just simply could not wholeheartedly decide
upon a name up until that point. One name we had considered more than
others was Faith, but that was only after Leonie had started to go into
labour.
What had been very clear during the labour
pains were not just that my wife was kind and considerate to others, but
that she had great FAITH the whole time. During the contractions she
was praying to God for strength and help and safe passage of our child.
Her concern was paramount for our child to be brought into the world
safely.
Its very clear upon reflection that God was
bringing our child into this world through faith by His grace. How so
you might ask? Well I for one do not deserve such a wonderful wife and
new child. They are a gift to me from God. So often a reality we miss
today is the privilege it is to have the people that are most close to
us in our lives.
It is from this turn of events, we decided to name our child Grace.
I
write this to you after Leonie's brother recently said, "now I know why
God waited to give her a name." It is very apparent that all of this
was in God's perfect timing and completely by His grace towards us. Not
because of who we are, but because of who He is.
Before
I started to write this, a scripture from the Bible came to mind: “For
by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is
the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast." Ephesians
2:8-9.
With this scripture and recent turn of events,
it might have been a good idea to give Grace a middle name of Faith you
might think. However, we have given her the middle name Hope. Why Hope
you might ask? Well, dear reader, our Hope is for you.
Before
our child was born we prayed that she would be used by God for His
glory. It is amazing that this has already happened within two days of
her being born. This message is a message of hope for you, that you also
might be 'saved through faith' by Grace.
Why do I need to be saved you might ask?
Before the good news, you must understand the bad news first.
The
complications faced during this labour underline that there is
something clearly not right in the world. Why would a loving God allow
such pain and suffering? Something within us knows that in the whole of
creation, there is a great problem. We have beauty in life, but we have
also the pain and suffering…. Why?
The Bible says Romans 6:23
"the wages of sin is death" What is sin? "sin is the transgression of
the law." 1 John 3:4. So in summary, when we (personally and mankind
collectively) live life in transgression, or disobedience to God's given
law: this is called sin.
The consequence brought on
by sin, is not only physical death, but the suffering and grief we
experience, often on a daily basis. The consequences of sin came the
first time mankind disobeyed God.
I have never
disobeyed God, I have lived a good life' you might say. However, with
your conscience, ask yourself, have you ever taken God's Name in vain?
For example, saying 'Oh my G-D.' Did you realise that this is the worst
thing you can do with someone's Name? Instead of saying a filth word you
replace it with God. The One who gave you the air that you breath and
the ability to even say the words! Imagine if you did that every day for
half of your life. I am 31 and so lets say 15 years multiplied by 365
days, I am sure when you do the Math it is quite a number of times that
we have insulted our Creator. God's Word is quite clear on the ultimate
consequence for this: Exodus 20:7 “Thou shalt not take the name of the
LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that
taketh his name in vain.”
Friends, there is one thing
that is on my mind while I write to you this Christmas morning, life is
so very short and unpredictable, if you consider when you have taken
God's Name in vain, or when you have done something else that is wrong
(listen to your God given conscience), such as lying, stealing,
disobedience to parents, drunkenness, sex outside of marriage. Psalm
94:9 "He that planted the ear, shall He not hear? He that formed the
eye, shall He not see?" Hebrews 9:27 "it is appointed unto men once to
die, but after this the judgment"
Matthew 12:36 "every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.”
"It
is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." Hebrews
10:31 So what is the solution? How can you get into a right relationship
with God?
I would like to introduce to you, Jesus
Christ. Born to live a perfect life, He was without sin. Through His
very love of mankind, God became flesh to make the only way of
reconciliation.
Acts 4:12 "Neither is there salvation
in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men,
whereby we must be saved.”
His method? Jesus was
crucified on a bloody cross, taking the punishment that we deserve for
our sin so that we might walk free through Him. On the third day after,
He defeated the power of death and rose from the dead.
However,
dear reader, if you are found without Christ when you stand before God
in judgment, the consequence is God's prison for law breakers eternity
in Hell. "all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth
with fire and brimstone: which is the second death." Revelation 21:8.
But
it is with the desire that you do not end up there that I write this to
you today. Jesus said, "Except a man be born again, he cannot see the
kingdom of God." John 3:3.
To find out what Jesus has
done for you, please read the Gospel of John in your Bible. If you do
not have a Bible then I would be delighted to send you one for free.
God
is very patient with all of us, the question we should ask is not so
much why terrible things happen to us in this world, but why has God not
dealt with me already for bad things I have already done?
"Seek
ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:
Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts:
and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and
to our God, for he will abundantly pardon." Isaiah 55:6-7.
From
my very heart, my desire for you this day, is that you will discover
that Amazing Grace that awaits you through Faith in the Lord Jesus
Christ.
I pray you will be blessed to truly understand
today, why the birth and death of Jesus Christ is so very important,
every day of the year.
In love - one very blessed father
Nigel
realanswers@hotmail.co.uk please contact me for more information about knowing Jesus.
