Double Blessings

Double Blessings

Isaac pleaded with the LORD on behalf of his wife, because she was unable to have children. The LORD answered Isaac’s prayer, and Rebekah became pregnant with twins. Genesis 25:21

“Ohhh!” The petite Chinese woman doubled over in pain.

I froze. As a medical student, I had shadowed a resident who showed me how a typical labor and delivery should progress. But now I couldn’t remember anything. The woman didn’t speak much English, and it was probably a good thing. If she had, it would have been obvious that we shared the same fear about what was going to happen. Fortunately, the labor and delivery nurse had been coaching new moms and new doctors for more than twenty years.

When the mom was fully dilated, I made an exaggerated pushing motion with my hands and said, “You push.” Then, pointing to myself and rounding my hands like a football receiver, I said, “I’ll catch.” I’m sure the nurse thought I was a complete fool.

Fortunately, she stepped up to the patient’s bedside and took control of the situation. Looking the woman in the eye, she began to model the proper breathing. Soon the mom was following her lead.

Before long, a patch of dark hair appeared as the baby crowned, and it took only another minute before the infant’s head emerged. I reached in to guide the shoulders, and out came a healthy baby boy. I clamped and cut the cord and handed the baby to the nurse. He was crying, which was a good sign. I wasn’t crying, which was also a good sign.

When I pushed down on the mother’s abdomen, expecting to feel a postpartum uterus, it felt larger than I expected. What could I have missed? It was my first solo delivery, and I didn’t want to make a mistake. Grabbing the fetoscope, I listened to the woman’s abdomen.

A second heartbeat!

Pointing to the woman’s stomach, I held up two fingers. Her eyes grew large. A few minutes later, baby boy number two came kicking and screaming into the world.

Although every delivery has a sense of wonder, this one—my first—was extra special. No one—not even the woman herself—knew she was having twins. But God knew. And he chose me to be a part of it.^a

TODAY’S RX

When we ask God to bless us, sometimes he unexpectedly gives us a double blessing.

Thank you for blessing me, Father, with many good gifts. Help me to always be in wonder of you.