Blessed be the name of the Lord
from this time on and for evermore.
From the rising of the sun to its setting
the name of the Lord is to be praised.
Psalm 113:2-3
Today is my daughter’s birthday. Eleven years ago today Kathy and I were at the hospital, at the appointed time for the scheduled caesarian section. Frankly, it felt a little odd to know when the baby would be born. I have often waxed philosophic about not knowing the exact day of our birth or our death, but to know that these are in God’s hands.
We plan, God laughs.
Our appointed time came and went, because an emergency c-section took our place in line. We wouldn’t stick to the schedule after all. Everything was fine, they assured us, as they started placing the leads on Kathy’s body.
But then the mood changed. The room got very quiet, as the nurse moved the scope around my wife’s body. “I’ve lost the heartbeat…” some other words… then “stat!” she spoke into the radio on her chest. Kathy and I looked at each other in silence.
So the baby is gone. I can’t fathom that. I can’t deal with that. But I have to be strong to care for my love in this moment. How will I provide compassion in this terrible loss? All this time, everything was fine, how can this be? We did everything right! I have to be able to say that. Well we started this journey with prayer, let’s pray in this moment. We will find a way to praise God even in this. We had exactly the same thoughts, shared with each other without a word.
Within 3 minutes of the word “stat” Kathy was in a regular surgical suite, and our baby was coming into the world. She was pink and perfect, and I cried tears of joy as I heard her cry from the hallway. It turns out that she was so in tune with her mother that she had matched her heartbeat.
In these days where so much seems out of control, I find comfort in the words of the psalms, and in our songs of worship.
Matt Redman wrote “Blessed Be Your Name” not long after 9/11/01. It beautifully reflects the message of the psalms, that we rejoice in all things. I offer his words as our prayer today:
“Blessed be your name when the sun’s shining down on me,
when the world’s all as it should be, blessed be your name.
Blessed be your name on the road marked with suffering,
though there’s pain in the offering, blessed be your name.
Every blessing you pour out I’ll turn back to praise.
When the darkness closes in, Lord, still I will say:
Blessed be the name of the Lord. Blessed be your glorious name!”
Pastor George