Wednesday, November 18, 2009

The Miracle of Birth


One of the most significant moments of my life was to be present when my granddaughter, Malaya Leigh, entered the world.
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March 2, 2007--I stood at the bedside of my daughter, Leigh. Delivery was imminent--I couldn't help but think about the miracle of birth. For nine months this little one, soon to be born, had been surrounded by fluid. For nine months this new life had floated in protected warmth and darkness, close to my daughter's heart.
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Then . . . within a matter of seconds, a dramatic change took place. The tip of our baby's head appeared, no bigger than a dime. Then the head disappeared. Another contraction and Leigh pushed hard. Once more a bit of dark hair appeared, then disappeared. So close--our Baby was about to be born.
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Our daughter cried out and pushed again--the top of our baby's head appeared. Within moments Malaya's entire head emerged . . . then her shoulders. My granddaughter burst into the world . . . and took her first breath. Her first cry brought to tears to my eyes.
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The doctor lifted our naked granddaughter high.
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I'll never forget the moment when her eyes made contact with mine; the wonder of that moment defies description. The Almighty Spirit had breathed into Malaya Leigh the breath of life.
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There is something beautiful about the breath of the Almighty. Even His name, the Holy Spirit, carries the idea of moving, vitalizing breath. The breath of the Almighty takes the thoughts of God and gives them voice.
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In His presence we discover a deepening joy. A baby's fingers wrap around our own; we bite into an icy watermelon on a hot day; we discover an expected flower blooming in a desert, or the wonder of a delicately formed snowflake. Our spirits are moved. We respond by allowing God to still our hearts, give us a song, or deepen our adoration as we stand shoulder to shoulder with others in worship.
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When we allow these experiences to imprint our lives, they teach us more about what it means to reverence and adore our Lord.

10 comments:

Deann said...

Eva,
What an absolutly beautiful post, so very powerfully gentle.
My most profound spiritual experience was when I sat at the bedside of my Father and literally watched his spirit leave his body. It has totally changed the way I feel about death. I know God is very close at birth and death.
I am so glad that you and your family are doing better, I know your faith has helped you get though the last few months. May God continue to bless you and your loved ones.

~Cheryl said...

Oh, Eva! When I saw your precious photo, my heart was flooded with emotion! It captures such a blessed moment! Then I read your story -- you captured the magnificence of miracles in your words, too!

Lois said...

Thank you for this uplifting post! It's so beautiful. I too was present when both of my grandchildren were born and those have been the two most special experiences of my life.

Beth Niquette said...

Oh, Mom--how I love what you wrote about Leigh and baby Malaya.

It was a privilege to be a part of that miraculous moment. I'll never forget it.

I'll never forget when they took Malaya to the side to clean her up. I followed the nurse over and looked right into our baby's eyes...and she smiled up at me.

NOPE! It was NOT gas--she knew who I was--her auntie Bee. I will always treasure this tiny girl. She will ever be close to my heart and in my prayers as she grows and matures.

Patty said...

It is quite an experience isn't it? When we saw out first grandson, well actually he was our third grandchild, but the two oldest lived in Fl and we weren't there when they were born. But we were at the birth of our one grandson, his Mother is our oldest child. He was so precious, and such a pretty baby. I told his Mother she should be happy, he was the most contented baby I had ever seen or been around. He's now 17 and would rather play games on his computer or be with his friends then come visit us. Typical teenager. LOL

Our youngest granddaughter was born March 5, 2000, our one daughter was born March 7th, 1962, oldest granddaughter March 17, 1982 and our oldest grandson March 8, 1983. We have two other grandsons in there, ages 17 and 10. Four of our five children have had children, the daughter born March 7, never married, so we have been grandparents to a dog and lots of cats. LOL So we have a lot of March births.

Right now our youngest daughter with the 9 year old is living back home with us. Her and her ex split up when the granddaughter was around 3, he moved to another state and is one of those deadbeat dads, doesn't pay child support. Finally our daughter just couldn't make ends meet on her salary and day care and all. So they moved in with us a year ago this past Oct. So far everything has been running smoothly. I take her to and from school, and she's a joy to have around. Sometimes we're amazed with the things she says and talks about, she sounds like person so much older.

Enjoy that little girl and love her to pieces, another nice thing is, you can always (well almost always) send them home after spending a day with them. LOL

Thanks for your visit.

Nina said...

Miracles surround us every day. We sometimes forget to open our eyes to see them. What a wonderful experience for you to be a whiteness to one of the greatest miracles of all. A new Life.
May we all open our eyes to see the Glorious miracles God gives to us each day. Thank you for sharing your your miracle of Life with us and opening our eyes to see God in action again. Blessings to you and yours. Happy Thanksgiving. Love and Light, Nina P

Mary said...

And the most wonderful thing is that the stories will continue...... Your precious granddaughter will carry your story with her into a new generation, she will develop and share her own, and we will all be richer for that. Birth is indeed the story of God's love.

Sunny said...

What a wonderful post. Life is full of miracles.
Sunny :)

Deann said...

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVA!!!

Dollores said...

Dear Eva,
The pictures on your blog are beautiful. I especially like the one of you and your grandchild. Our fifteenth grandchild was born last week, I wasn't able to be at the birth because I was tending it's two brothers and this one makes three boys. Aren't they wonderful.
Best wishes. Dollores