You've heard the phrase, "Timing is everything." And timing is very important in so many aspects of life. However, in many instances in my world, I have no control over timing. Babies don't care if I just applied color to my hair, have only just slept 15 minutes in the last 24 hours, or just met my husband for a quick dinner before he leaves for work. When it's their time, I go.
But an aspect of timing that is even bigger than this has been tugging at my heart for years, and was again brought to life recently. I see it more as an orchestration of God's hand in our lives, and specifically in the lives of women and their babies. Scripture describes how we are knit together and known in the womb by God - made for His purposes. Is it any wonder that He is the orchestrator and protector of the timing of when His children appear into the world?
At times, emergent events have occurred that necessitate the immediate birth of babies and women in danger of death. Whether it is bleeding, seizures or other medical complications, these events break into our lives with the power of a bomb exploding, and have the potential for leaving death and destruction in their paths. So many of these times, God has arranged the timing of these event in such a way as to allow the perfect people to be in the right place, the right time, and with resources available just when they are needed. I have never seen these circumstances as mere chance or coincidence.
I will interject to explain that I work at a small, rural hospital that does not keep OB surgeons, anesthesia staff and OR staff on location all the time. This means that, in case of emergencies, people must be called in from home and it may be 15-30 minutes before they arrive on site. For many of these cases of which I refer, surgeons, anesthesia and those able to help in the OR are "in house" even if it is the middle of the night or a weekend when they would normally not be there.
Other events, which are not emergent, are just as poignant to me regarding God's timing of events surrounding birth. There are some women who specifically ask for you to attend them at the time of their child's birth. Sometimes their due time coincides with a vacation, a conference, or personal event that either I cannot miss or I feel is important for my personal life to attend. These births have always occurred at the perfect time for me to attend, even if it is only hours before I have to leave to catch a flight out of town. I again do not see these events as mere coincidences. I feel that I have thrown "chance" out the window of my belief system.
I think the nicest thing anyone ever told me was that they prayed for me to be there with them while they labored and delivered their child. What an incredible honor to have someone pray that prayer! And God has always allowed me to be there with them in that most intimate and precious moment when they welcomed a new member into their family. Such an honor and privilege to be witness to miracles!
But these moments are not always the joyous occasions. I know that God has orchestrated events surrounding miscarriage, stillborn and loss with the same compassion and care that He has for those who are blessed with what we consider better outcomes. It is in these moments that I must bow down to a God who is so much greater than anything I can fathom and stand in trust and faith that He put me there at that time also for His purpose. I feel that these moments teach me humility more than any others. Only by allowing God to speak through me and reach out to those who are hurting so deeply can I stand on that Holy Ground of loss. I continually pray that He moves through me and in spite of me and my human flesh to be His instrument in those times for the women and families that I am honored to serve.
