It’s Sunday – a day I’d usually be up, showered and dressed and off to Church. But this Sunday I woke up under our current ‘lock down’ situation, so had a leisurely start to the day, including glancing at my phone on waking up and before I got out of bed. I found a message timed at 7.27 a.m. from my lovely friend, who I’ll call Mary. Mary and her husband are the people who invited me to Alpha about 13 years ago now, and first introduced me to St Saviour’s, the Church that I now call ‘home’ and into a faith that is now central to my life.
Mary has been in touch over the past week as she was worried about her son and his wife, who live in Central London. Their second baby was due ‘any day’ and with the worries about going to a London hospital at the moment, and also the worry of who would be able to care for their 2 year old little girl while they were at hospital, it’s been a really anxious time. Yesterday their little girl went to stay with friends, who have been isolating so that they are safe to care for her. And this morning at 7.27 a.m. was a message saying ‘please pray’ as they were on their way to hospital – labour had started, 3 days early. So before getting up, I prayed for them all – for the staff caring for them, for their little girl, for a safe and swift delivery. When their little girl was born she was a week late, the labour had been 36 hours, very difficult and ended in emergency surgery – hence the anxiety at this particularly difficult time where hospitals are so busy, and no one but essential staff and patients are admitted.
Before I had finished my prayer, I had another text from Mary saying ‘he is here’. The baby had been born within 20 minutes of arrival at hospital – the drive there had taken longer than the time bringing him into the world! What a miracle, what an answer to prayer – a beautiful baby boy born safely, swiftly and in God’s perfect time. A little boy who will give joy to all around him, delivered by such dedicated midwives at a time of national crisis.
And just look at his first photo – his little fingers held up in the ‘peace victory’ sign!
Written by Elaine Hand