A Grandmother's Answered Prayer

Louise Brygadyr

It was the night before the birth of grandchild number eight. I had been in almost constant prayer for the past nine months. My youngest daughter was told she couldn't have children, so this was a big surprise. The baby was late, which isn't unusual with first births. Everyone in the family had been excited about this baby, and although we all had preferences about a boy or girl, we just prayed for a healthy child.

The doctors in the Vancouver hospital decided that they had to perform a Caesarean section. I couldn't help thinking at this time about Mary's mother and how she must have had similar thoughts of anticipation, with her being in Nazareth and Mary in Bethlehem awaiting the birth of a Son.

As the night progressed, I found my sleep interrupted with thoughts of: What will it be? What will it look like? What colour hair? How big? Sleep had completely fled, so I continued in prayer for a safe delivery, that God would give my daughter and her husband wisdom in raising this child, that the baby would grow to have a personal relationship with Jesus. I also prayed that the parents would seek salvation and be able to nourish this precious new being with the love of Christ.

Babies are one of God's greatest miracles. This much wanted and already loved baby that would soon become part of our family would have a personality all its own, one that was known to God at the moment of conception.

How anxiously we await the birth of a baby, with all kinds of ideas and hopes for it. In our own Christian walk, we should similarly be anxiously looking forward to the return of our Saviour. I don't mean that we should be afraid or worried, only that we should have anxious feelings of joy and expectation, much like a child waiting for a birthday party and gifts.

Our beautiful gift, Shari-Lyn was, born December 23, 1989. At age 5, she asked me to pray with her so she could be "born again". I asked her what she meant, and she replied, "I want to have Jesus in my heart." She loves to sit on Poppa's knee and have him read the "real" stories from the Bible.

Louise Brygadyr is a member of Valleycliffe Christian Fellowship in Squamish, B.C.

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