Surprises

Excuse me, God?  Can I tell you something?

I heard You!

Yes!  I heard Y.O.U.!  In the middle of all the laughter, music, worship, kids, and noise, I.heard.You!

Crazy?

Well, maybe.  It was early March 2003.  I was hiding in the next to last row of the balcony, as usual, for worship service. This particular Sunday found me listening to a guest speaker talk about a trip to China.  He was traveling half-way around the world to meet his new baby.

While considering the enormity of the distance to meet your child, I heard you gently whisper, "I have a baby for you."

LOL!  I mean, seriously!?  I laughed out loud!  Oooooh...no, no, NO!

"Yes, I have a baby...for you."  (When I am nervous, I tend to get the giggles.)  As I looked around to the very last pew in the church, it was empty.

"Wwwhat?  No way.  That would just be funny, wouldn't it?  Especially since I only just gave away every last piece of maternity clothes from Violet - as well as all the baby/toddler supplies.  A baby?  For me?"

"I have a baby, for you!"

Now, excuse me, can I tell you something?  After many years of practice, a very fancy big city doctor told Dan and I that we would never be able to make a baby all by ourselves.  Never.  (Well, he said there was a less than 2% chance due to something scientific called acrozome reaction.... it has to do with, well, never mind!  It's scientific.)

So, who was that speaking to me?  Am I losing my mind?  (Shhhh Dan!)

"I have a baby, for you!"  It was You, God.  I know it now, and I knew it then.  The very next morning, I went to Food Lion and bought a pregnancy test.  When the line came up in the box, I laughed.  Science?  Blah!  God...Yeah!  Yes, I laughed.  Then I called Dan at work.

This picture shows our celebration service where we dedicated our surprise baby to you, God, and, miraculously, I was pregnant with Levi on this day.  We announced this surprise in front of the congregation of First United Methodist Church during this Christening Service.  Remember this?  We named our new baby boy Isaac, meaning laughter.  May you cradle him always in Your arms, Lord, just as this pictures shows him cradled in the arms of dear...

...Pastor Andrew.

"Sarah said, 'God has brought me laughter, and everyone who hears about this 

will laugh with me." Genesis 21:6