PICTURE PRAISE
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters.
Genesis 1:1-2
An African tree survives in a forest destroyed by elephants. This picture was taken while on Safari celebrating my parents 65th wedding anniversary and my father’s 90th birthday!
One is never too old to realize dreams God places in a heart.
~ Marjorie Speiser
And so it was dark. The Spirit of God, of Elohim, was moving back and forth over the surface of the deep, hovering over the waters of a formless and empty earth, a chaotic, uncontrolled world. A miracle is about to happen, a wonder, an unexplainable supernatural phenomenon. And when it occurs, there will be no scientific explanation, only heads bowed in awe.
– taken from a true story…
The pregnant woman and her mother were rushing to the hospital, the birth process was well underway, the labor pains close together. Finally, they arrived. The attendants brought her into the birthing room and by the time she was prepped, out popped the baby. But there was something was wrong, her brand new baby girl wasn’t breathing. No life. Limp. Colorless. The doctors and nurses, frantic, scurried around, working tirelessly on the baby, needles poking, tubes, metal probes. After thirty minutes, there was still no sign of life. The mother-to-be and the would be proud grandmother willed the little one to live, to breath, to show any sign of life but it wasn’t enough. They watched helplessly feeling as if their own lives were ebbing away at the same time as their precious treasure. The pace in the room was slowing down. Keep going!!! Keep trying!!! But it was finished. We lost her. The dream had slipped away, the baby bottles, teddy bears, and even the sleepless nights. Gone. In a room full of activity and people, they felt utterly and helplessly alone. It was the beginning of the end.
The nurse brought the grandmother the baby girl. How could this be happening? Not to us. We don’t deserve this! The grandmother stole a look at her daughter already sitting up in the hospital bed. Which feels worse? This little beauty, lifeless in my arms or the look of horror and loss on my daughter’s face. The grandmother carefully stood up, tenderly placed the baby girl in her daughter’s arms and turned to the window. Time was standing still. There were no words. The new mother placed her hand on the bed to steady herself. Her world was spinning out of control. This was too much too bear. She studied the little face, the little hands, the small toes. So beautiful.
The nurses had sent for a priest. He walked into the room and though a complete stranger, he quickly became a symbol of strength, stability, and comfort. A soft, questioning voice broke the silence. May I pray for the baby and give her last rites? Limp, there was no fight left in the mother. Yes. We have named her Aona. It means Eternal Bloom. The young mother’s eyes betrayed her thoughts. No! This isn’t how it should be. This is supposed to be the beginning of one life, not the end…of several. The priest lightly laid his hand on the baby girl, prayed and then left. The new mother stared ahead for a moment, sighed deeply, and turned numbly towards her mother.
Suddenly, she felt something move in her arms. It must be her imagination. A huge gasp was heard throughout the room bringing the nurses running. Impossible! The baby had just breathed it’s first breath! After 65 minutes, this little one came joyously to life. Her cries were heard by all and everyone in the room joined in, some weeping, some misty eyed, tears rolling down faces. It wasn’t the beginning of the end after all.
Later, the doctors and nurses couldn’t explain what had happened. It was classed a miracle, something beyond the realm of scientific explanation. No one could possibly understand something of this magnitude unless they were present when it occurred. And even then, there were no words. They had all mourned the tragedy of losing the battle and now they were there when the sleep of death became a gasping breath of life. Perhaps there was something else in that little hospital room, hovering over the chaos of the moment, moving back and forth over the dark abyss. The new mother, previously silenced by the pain, by the cruel end of a dream, was brought back to life as well. Reborn. And again without words, she looked down at her new daughter in gratitude. Is there One Supreme Being who holds life and death in balance? I don’t know. Does she believe in miracles? Undeniably yes. She has no choice. There is no other way to grasp the mystery of the moment, of what happened. It didn’t matter so much what people thought happened. For her, only life’s mastery of death mattered, of new beginnings, of dreams recaptured, of a Spirit hovering over the abyss of death and breathing life and order into the chaos and darkness. She smiled knowing that something outside of her understanding had just occurred. And an inexplicable joy mounted in her spirit as she embraced the little life in her arms. She whispered thank-you knowing in her heart that something or Someone had heard her heart-felt gratitude.
Prayer: God would you do this same miracle in my life today? Where there is hopelessness, chaos, darkness, and even death, where all seems destroyed or lost, breathe your life into mine and give a new beginning that engulfs everything I experience but goes beyond anything I can explain.
©2015 Thrive.