Birth Life Death

We sit in her living room, laughing through tears, like two comrades describing the battle field from our own points of view. Recalling how a perfect plan can suddenly go so wrong, and there you are - facing life and death.

I tell my client that there were people praying for her from the moment I found out she went into labor. She stops and the tears come again. "I could feel it." The thought of one's very Spirit being lifted up and encouraged by unknown support is too much for me. My tears come too.

She tells me that the Spiritual presence surrounding her labor and birth experience is so glaringly obvious, that she could not ignore it. I have to agree - a doctor she had never met rushed in to save her baby's life then prayed over the child in the presence of the family, nurses randomly gave Bible verses to a mother whose anxiety levels were high and faith was low, special blessings were placed here and there by unseen helpers to remind the family that they were watched and loved, the Peace that permeated the air in the delivery room even as the situation became alarming, even the prayer that I found myself praying on the way to the hospital "God, keep me calm and give me strength to support this family through whatever may come," were all glimpses of the Hands that surrounded this child's entrance to Life.

I'm reminded of the birth of my own child - the evangelical zeal with which I called my family and friends to announce this new life. The elation, the joy, the (dare I say it?) high I felt as I welcomed this child into our story and as she began her own. Birth is a spiritual experience. There are few other times when we have the opportunity to stand so close to Life and Death. And if we let it, it changes us.