Proverbs 22:6 (New American Standard Bible)
Train up a child in the way he should go,
Even when he is old he will not depart from it.
Mother lay in bed, twisting the sheet in her thin, frail
hands.
It was the beginning of the Great Depression and things
couldn’t have been worse. Daddy had been laid off from his job at the railroad,
they were struggling to make their mortgage payments, and with four other
children ages 8, 6, 4 and 1 ½, Mother was pregnant again.
This time her morning sickness seemed to last all day.
Blood tests proved she had pernicious anemia that made her too weak to even
hold her youngest toddler.
Late that afternoon, Mother called Daddy into the
bedroom. “I believe I’m about to miscarry, “ she whispered hoarsely. Daddy
responded as he always did by kneeling by her bed, holding her hand and praying
fervently.
In spite of their dire circumstances, Mother and Daddy
could not bear to lose a child. It was unthinkable. Each life was precious in
the sight of God and therefore precious to this devout couple.
During the last year, visiting missionaries had spoken at
the church Mother and Daddy attended. So impressed were my parents with the
scope of the missionaries’ work that they desperately wanted to contribute to
the offerings designated for their ministries. The problem was, they had no
money.
After considerable discussion, they decided to give
Mother’s gold wedding ring toward the missionaries’ support. It was not an easy
decision, but not one they ever regretted and which had far-reaching effects.
Now as Mother lay on her bed, with evidence that she
might soon miscarry, she and Daddy dedicated the unborn baby to the Lord,
asking that if God so chose, the child might one day be called to Africa as a
Christian missionary.
As the days and weeks went by, Mother passed the crisis
and their healthy baby, their fifth child, was born. Wisely, Mother and Daddy
never told their daughter, Norma, about their dedication until years later.
Norma was not only a strong baby physically but grew into
a strong-willed child. As a teenager, she went through a rebellious stage that
prompted Mother and Daddy to double their prayers for Norma. Still, they
persevered in prayer.
One day when Norma was still a teenager, she made a
life-changing decision to commit her life to Jesus Christ. Like Saul of Tarsus,
Norma never looked back, never changed her mind and never strayed from the path
she felt God had chosen for her.
So, it was a tearful time of thanks and praise when Norma
announced to Mother and Daddy one day that God had called her to be a
missionary to Africa. Only after her plans were complete and Norma was sure of
her calling did Mother and Daddy tell her of their dedication prayer before her
birth.
Norma graduated from Bible College and married her
fiancé, Andy, who was also preparing for missionary service in Africa. Arriving
in Guinea, West Africa, Andy began building schools, churches and missionary
homes while learning the language and preaching through an interpreter. Norma
involved herself in Bible translation and working with the native women.
After eight years of marriage and still childless, Norma
was diagnosed with cancer. So grave was the prognosis, that it was determined
she only had about three months to live
Norma and Andy immediately returned to the United States
where oncologists in a New York hospital confirmed through extensive tests and
x-rays that Norma did indeed have cancer in her abdomen. But before any
treatment or surgery could begin, God performed a miracle of healing in her
body.
She had tenaciously held on to Psalm 118:17,18, “I shall
not die, but live, and declare the works of the Lord. The Lord hath chastened
me sore; but he hath not given me over unto death,” and God had honored her
steadfast faith.
Returning to Africa, God blessed them with three children
born two years apart. All three later graduated from Seminary. Two of them
returned to Africa as missionaries and the other joined the staff of a large
church in the Northeast.
Norma and Andy were able to complete over 35 years of
missionary service in Africa before their retirement.
Mother and Daddy’s sacrificial gift of her gold wedding
band to support foreign missions would reap great benefits. But even more,
their dedication of their unborn baby to God, their exemplary lives and their
unshakeable faith resulted in their daughter, Norma, becoming an outstanding
missionary, wife and mother in West Africa.
While some might have immediately accepted a miscarriage
as God’s will in desperate circumstances, Mother and Daddy viewed it as an
opportunity for God to show His power and His will. They entered into a
covenant with God which He abundantly honored.
The blessings of God are indeed passed on to our children
and to our children’s children.
Dear Lord we thank You for the children that You have
allowed us to have a part in raising. We pray that we would do our part in raising
them in a manner that is pleasing to You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment