This is one of my favorite stories from my childbirths, and I promise it is not too gory. It's ok, you can read on...
When I went into labor with our first daughter, we went into the hospital in the middle of the night (like 2:45 a.m.). We labored for a while at the hospital and a new nurse came on shift in the morning (7:00 I think...) We were playing Christian music on our CD player we brought from home (it was 1999, people!) and this sweet nurse remarked about it. She was a Christian too, and her name was Susie. We fell in love with Susie's kind attitude and gentle smile immediately. She confessed to us that she felt like she wasn't doing much for God in her job lately, and had asked for a sign. She didn't normally do that kind of thing, but felt like we were her answer to keep going, keep fighting the good fight. She prayed with me during the labor, while Joshua was helping me breathe, and it made a HUGE difference! She was delighted with little Rebekah, so sweet and encouraging to us when we left. She said prayers with us before we left. What an awesome nurse!
Fast forward to three and a half years later, when we went into a different hospital, because the birthing center at the smaller hospital closed. We figured our sweet nurse Susie was employed elsewhere. We had to be induced with our son that day, who was five days overdue. We were walking down the hall to our room, and we glanced into another room. Who did we see? Susie, of course. She was there, and changed patients with another nurse so she could be OUR nurse for the birth. She was wonderful, prayerful and encouraging once again. I think she was just as excited to see us as we were excited to see her! She was joyful alongside us as we had our son and took him home as well.
Another four years went by, and we were on our way to the hospital in labor with our third child. On the way to the hospital, we joked, "What are the chances that Susie will be there?!" We hoped she would be... When we arrived at the hospital that October afternoon, we were put into an overflow room for labor, since all the other rooms were full. Later, I realized that I was in transition when I got to the hospital. I laid down and just wanted to push. The nurse checked me and said I was fully dilated. Then she yelled down the hall, "SUSIEEE!!" We looked at each other in surprise. It was our favorite nurse, Susie, and she helped us again for the THIRD time. Isn't God amazing??
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| We finally got a picture with Susie after the third birth! |
That labor and delivery was fast and furious, she was born in one hour, from start to finish. She was born twenty minutes after we arrived at the hospital. We were so thankful for the nurses that day that helped us so much, and the resident doctor who delivered her. Our doctor didn't even make it to the birth! I tried to convince him that her birth should have been free, since he wasn't even there, but he didn't go for that...
For our fourth and final childbirth, Susie was not working, and we missed her greatly. But God blessed us with another nurse, who attended our church and was a wonderful nurse to us too. So I've had wonderful labors, because God is faithful and blessed us with an angel in disguise. God is so good!
Do you have any similar stories where God has shown you His presence so clearly when you needed Him? I'd love to hear about it!
Genesis 3:16
To the woman he said, “I will make your pains in childbearing very severe; with painful labor you will give birth to children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you.”
Isaiah 42:14
“For a long time I have kept silent, I have been quiet and held myself back. But now, like a woman in childbirth, I cry out, I gasp and pant.
Romans 8:22
We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.
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