A Gift From God

“Did you hear about that Kingsbury baby?” asked one of the night nurses.

“What’s wrong with him?” asked the other nurse.

“His mom, the woman in that room is an insulin-dependent diabetic. They delivered her baby 7 weeks early. He’s one sick baby. They don’t expect him to live through the night.”

At two in the morning, I laid awake worrying about our baby born by Cesarean section at 8:30 that evening. I tossed and turned trying unsuccessfully to sleep. Now hearing what these two nurses said outside my room made me cry. Needing to talk to someone, I phoned my mother.

“Hello,” she answered apprehensively. With a call that early in the morning, she most likely thought the baby had died.

“Mom, they don’t think the baby will make it through the night. Two nurses were talking about him outside my room just now.” I sobbed uncontrollably.

“I think he’ll make it, Cindy, just trust God. You’ve been through too much for this baby to die now. He’s going to make it, I really believe he will.”

I felt better when I hung up the phone. I trusted my mother and the prayers she'd prayed for me and my baby. I spent half my pregnancy in the hospital. I also spent two days in Intensive Care, gone into labor at five months until they stopped it, had my blood sugars tested four times a day, and endured what seemed like a hundred other tests. “Please God,” I prayed, “after all of this, don’t let him die.”

Two weeks later, we brought our baby home. We named him Nathaniel David, David after my husband. We later learned that Nathaniel means, “gift from God.” How true this name proved to be.

Nathan learned to overcome many difficulties in life, yet he remained a happy, contented person. Among the difficulties was a slight learning disability caused by undetected hearing loss and possiibly his premature birth and the insulin he received before birth. One grade school teacher told me he most likely wouldn't graduate from college.

This statement which demeaned his intelligence caused a lack of confidence but no bitterness. Instead, it produced a determination to succeed. At twelve years of age, Nathan felt a call to the ministry. He determined with God’s help to succeed at graduating from high school and from college. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Christian Ministries from Indiana Wesleyan University in 2001.

Nathan’s determination and overall outlook on life taught me many things. He taught me to stay positive and to realize that a loving attitude instead of a judgmental one produces better results. He taught me forgiveness, conflict management and affection. He taught me the importance of fun and laughter. And he taught me persistence, no matter how far away a goal seems.

I thought about these things as I watched Nathan standing at the altar with his beautiful bride-to-be. He looked handsome, happy, and proud on this his wedding day. I thought, “Most mothers teach their children, but I learned more then what I taught. Nathan truly is a gift from God. Thank you, God, for this gift.”