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About Micaiah Caleb's Birth
"A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world." John 16:21
Tuesday, January 22 :
11 am: Lisa feels contractions, but thinks little of them as she has had Braxton Hicks in periods of regular intervals over the past couple of weeks.
12 pm:Lisa takes her routine 1-mile walk down and back up the snowy mountain road. John's big winter coat keeps both her and baby warm as outdoor temperature is only about 12° F. The contractions continue, causing her to stop on her walk as they pass.
1 pm:A little rest on the couch turns into a wakeful hour's nap as the light contractions continue.
2 pm:Lisa continues with the days activities: making lunch and cleaning up; working on Feeding His Lambs ministry projects on the computer; sewing a couple more baby diapers; and another nap disturbed by contractions. As she works at the computer, she keeps track of the contractions in Excel and finds them to be about every 8 to 12 minutes apart and 30 seconds in length.
8 pm:Laying on the couch is the most comfortable place now. It's quite uncomfortable to be sitting in the office chair when a contraction comes. Lisa gets out her books, reading the sections on how to know the difference between true and false labor. John comes in and after evening worship, she reads to him from the books.
9 pm: Lisa takes a bath, wondering if that will change anything. Still the contractions continue.
10 pm:John takes over timing Lisa's contractions in bed for the next three hours. They are coming every 5 minutes and lasting 50 to 60 seconds.
Wednesday, January 23 :
1 am: We call the midwife, Beth. Though we are still doubtful if this is real labor, Beth assures us that she thinks Lisa is in real labor (especially when Lisa hands John the phone in the middle of the conversation as another contraction hits). "My children went to bed early and so did I," she soothes our concerns of waking her at such an early hour. "I'll be leaving right away." (Beth lives in Spokane, nearly three hours from our home.) The moon is shining brightly from clear skies. It is 3° and most of the roads are clear of snow so Beth makes good time.
John and Lisa praise the Lord together for God’s perfect timing—in bringing about Lisa’s delivery earlier than expected. Why? In one week Beth will be leaving for Guatemala on a mission trip with her family.
3:30 am: John and Lisa have a season of prayer together for a safe delivery, healthy baby, and strength to endure. Both of them are already very tired. Lisa is quite uncomfortable in bed now and finds a little relief in taking a bath.
4:20 am:Our midwife, arrives. She checks Lisa and listens to the baby. Both are doing great, but progress is slow and Lisa is only 2 cm. John and the midwife catch a few hours of sleep, but of course, no sleep for Lisa.
8:30 am:Beth checks Lisa again—5 cm. Lisa is fully concentrating on the work of relaxation now. John stays close to her side, coaching her through the contractions. Just as correct breathing is a very important part of John’s instructions, so prayer, “the breath of the soul” is essential for us to experience the “new birth.”
John calls and cancels the day’s appointments and then calls Lisa’s parents. They arrive in a couple of hours.
10:00 am: Counter-pressure to Lisa’s lower back, the heating pad, and relaxation are failing to bring relief in the strong contractions. Lisa pleads for something to change. A warm bath is prepared and though the tub is small, it brings a degree of welcome relief. Lisa is now at 7 cm.
11:30 am: 8 cm and labor is very intense. John is fully devoted to Lisa’s support. The contractions follow each other quickly with little rest in-between. Lisa carefully tries to capture what little bits of rest she can.
Lisa finds the most comfort in the exchange of Bible promises on "strength" that John and Beth share:
“My grace is sufficient for thee: for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” 2 Corinthians 12:9
"The joy of the Lord is your strength." Nehemiah 8:10
"But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." Isaiah 40:31
"The LORD is the strength of my life." Psalm 27:1
And God brings an extra special promise to Lisa's mind: “He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might He increaseth strength.” Isaiah 40:29
12:30 pm: It seemed to Lisa that there was no end in sight. “Oh, when will this be over?” she pleads.
The midwife assures her, “When the baby is born!” She reminds Lisa of the Bible verse: "Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning." Psalm 30:5
Likewise, our trials may be so intense that we question if we can bear any more. (See 1 Corinthians 10:31.) “Oh when will they be over?” we cry out to God. His answer to us is much like the midwife’s answer: “When Christ is born in you, then I will come back to receive you unto Myself.” (See 1 John 3:2, 3; 1 John 3:9; 1 Peter 1:23; 2 Corinthians 3:18; John 14:3.)
1:00 pm: 10 cm! And it’s time to push. Lisa wonders how she’ll ever have enough energy for this. But she clings to John and to the promise: “He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.” Isaiah 40:29
1:43 pm: It’s a baby boy!! "Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable gift." 2 Corinthains 9:15
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Birth Object Lessons
More Understanding
A couple of days before the birth of Micaiah, John was hit with an aweful flu bug. As Lisa soothed and cared for him during the long night, John remarked how he now understood the misery Lisa must have been going through during the first four months of pregnancy with the morning sickness. "And I think God is also preparing me to have more sympathy for you when the baby is born," he told Lisa.
So it is with Christ, our spiritual "husband" (Isaiah 54:5). "For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as [we are, yet] without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." Hebrews 4:15, 16. (See also Hebrews 2:17, 18.)
Enfolded in His Arms
As the intensity of labor progressed, Lisa found her greatest comfort in the loving, arms of John. In like manner, Jesus opens His arms to us in our deepest trials and struggles. He invites us, "Let him take hold of My strength" for "I will be with thee." Isaiah 27:5;43:2.
Strength to Conceive
During labor, as John observed Lisa's physical stamina, he thought about what it must have been like for Sarah, Abraham's wife, to give birth at the age of 90! It seems too easy to pass this fact over lightly. However, Sarah certainly had to rely in pure faith upon God's word.
"Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged Him faithful who had promised." Hebrews 11:11
And for us, at times, it appears equally impossible to be "born again," when our habits and tendensies to sin have been developed for so many years. Yet, like Sarah, we too may lay hold on His promise, "Faithful is He that calleth you, who also will do it." 1 Thessalonians 5:24. (See also Matthew 19:26.)
Joint Effort
The process of bringing a child into the world is, of course, a joint effort between the father and mother, and a miracle of God.
So God, the Father, and the mother, His church, must also work together to bring a new believer (a child) into the world —out of spiritual darkness into the light of God's Word.
Just as a woman must go through tribulation and hard labor in order to give birth to a baby, so the church must put forth dilligent effort in doing evangelism. (See 1 Thessalonians 2:9.) The labor may be exhausting, and the temptation to give up may press upon the soul, but nothing compares with the joy of seeing "new birth" in human lives.
Speaking of such an experience, Paul writes: "My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you." Galatians 4:19
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