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SETH
“Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one's youth. Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them…” (Psalm 127:4-5)
I remember the day of Seth’s birth very vividly. His birth set into motion a series of events that would forever alter my life.
First of all, he was born in Scottsdale, Arizona on a day that set a record for the hottest ever in that city on that day. Our house didn’t have working air conditioning, so I was thankful that I could go to the more comfortable hospital; only, being in labor, I wasn’t really that much more comfortable.
Second of all, Seth was born three days after his cousin Kaylee, who was living in Scottsdale at the time. Kaylee was born on a Thursday and on Saturday morning, I had no clue that this would be the day that I would give birth. My sister Darla called me around noon wishing that we could have had pink or blue carnations together at the pulpit the next day. You see, if a baby was born to someone in the congregation, the following Sunday a carnation would be put up front, next to the pulpit, to celebrate that birth. My sister got her wish, for the next day there was both a pink and a blue carnation at the front of the sanctuary.
On Saturday at noon, I was busy making banana bread, not knowing that within three hours, I would be holding Seth in my hands. Seth was the only one of our five children that arrived on time. (Somehow, he has lost that character trait in the past fifteen years, although he has gotten much better in the last year.) All our other kids were nine, ten, and eleven days late, but not Seth. He came one day after his due date. Because of this, I didn’t have my hospital suitcase packed. Dan was out to lunch with a cousin, but I didn't know what restaurant they were at. This was in the days before cell phones, so I had no way to tell him that I was in labor. I had the three older kids to care for and to arrange babysitting for. During this I would have a contraction, pack one item, cry, pray, have another contraction, pack another item, cry, pray, have another contraction, pack another item, cry, pray, etc. From the time Dan got home from his lunch date, within the hour, I gave birth.
Seth’s birth should have been filmed for a Lamaze class. It was picture perfect. Arrive at the hospital. Put on gown. Get into bed. Water breaks. Have doctor check you. You are ready to push. Push. The baby arrives.
I had a pattern of babies going, boy, girl, boy, so of course, I thought that maybe this next baby would keep the pattern. As the baby was born, I waited for the doctor to say, “It’s a boy” or “It’s a girl.” He never said it. I had to ask in exasperation, “What is it?” I think that the doctor must have been so used to couples knowing ahead of time what they were having, that he took it for granted that I knew what it was.
Seth’s middle name was named after his maternal grandfather, Reinhardt. My prayer is that he realizes how special this is. Little did I know that three weeks to the day that Seth was born, his paternal grandmother, his “Oma” would be gone from this earth and be in the arms of Jesus. Little did I know at the time, that two months later, Seth’s older sister would be diagnosed with autism.
Last of all, Seth was a baby to cherish. He had these wide blue eyes that made a mother’s heart melt. He was a comfort to me as we began the difficulty of working through the funeral and then the therapies to help his sister with her autism.
Here it is fifteen years later and the memories remain vivid in my mind. Sometimes, I wish our children would realize what a heritage they have. Because at their ages they don’t seem to care, it is up to me to record my memories and to pass on the stories of the Godly family members in their past. When they get to an age where they really do care, the memories will be written down for them to read. THANK YOU LORD FOR THE BLESSING OF SETH!
"Therefore you shall lay up these words of mine in your heart and in your soul, and bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. And you shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates, that your days and the days of your children may be multiplied in the land of which the LORD swore to your fathers to give them, like the days of the heavens above the earth.” (Deuteronomy 11:18- 21)
SETH
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| | Posted 6/25/2009 9:04 AM - 14 Views - 2 eProps - 1 Comment
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