Psalm 139:13, 16  ¹³For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. ¹⁶Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

Today, a more personal note of thankfulness: Yesterday was Mother’s Day.  It was wonderful for Donna to hear from our 4 sons and 3 daughter-in-laws on this special day.  We even got to see online last night our oldest granddaughter, Becca singing in church down in Recefe’, Brazil.  The service was broadcast live.

At church we heard the true but funny saying, “If it weren’t for your mother, you wouldn’t be here.” Mothers do so much to raise us, but most basically, they give us life.  It brought to mind the special debt I owe my Mother for the very fact that I was born.  She shared this story with me after I became a Christian in college.

In 16 years of marriage, my parents planned and had 3 children.  My brother Richard was first and my sister Judy was third.  Unfortunately, the second baby, Marilyn, died at birth.  Then in the spring of 1947 my mother discovered she was pregnant with me.  I was the ‘accident’ as people like to call such things.  But my mother had been told by her doctor after the birth of my sister Judy that she couldn’t and shouldn’t have anymore children or it might kill her.

Our family doctor, who we shall call Dr. Em, was very distressed by this pregnancy for he feared for her life.  So he tried to talk my mom into having an abortion.  Mom told him that she and my dad wanted to have the baby (me) but Dr. Em was persistent, recommending the abortion on her subsequent visits.  Finally, my mother told him, “We are having this baby – and if you ever speak of having an abortion again, I will never come back!”

I had no idea how close I had come to not being born.  There is also quite a club of ‘accidents’ out there – or shall we call us God’s surprises.  None of us are ‘accidents’!  He knew us before we were born.  It’s interesting how many pastors, missionaries and Christian workers were initial ‘surprises’ to their parents.  I thank God for my mother, Louise and my father, Oscar and their determination to have me, in spite of the danger that might accompany my birth.  They were the ones chosen by God to give me life, so that I might live for Him.