A father's pain.

Our daughter was expecting her baby any day and we were all sitting on pins and needles waiting for a call saying she had gone into labor. What we got was unexpected...she called to let me know that she was in labor but the doctors wanted her to stay at home and continue her labor until she had dilated further. As I spoke with her on the phone, she occasionally stopped talking and started to breathe in a familiar pattern. I myself have had the experience three times and given birth to three wonderful, productive; now grown children.
On the other end of the phone was our only daughter experiencing the pain that women must go through to reap the beautiful reward of welcoming a new life into the world. We talked between contractions and made plans for her father and I to fly out to meet them at the hospital.

It was her first child so no one really knew what to expect. We wondered how long the labor would be, how difficult the birth would be, or if there would be complications. After getting off the phone, her father and I discussed our plans and decided to purchase our tickets to Portland.

The next day she called again. Her father was sitting at the computer when the phone rang. As he answered it I heard him say hello sweety, how are the contractions going. I knew it was our daughter calling to let us know how things were progressing. He made a few more comments and I ran to the office just in time to see his face. He appeared to be in pain himself; then I realized that he was listening to his only daughter as she suffered in pain from a contraction. It was as if time stood still, he couldn't speak; only listen. As I watched his face many things went through my mind. Knowing him and how much he loves Ashley, I knew that he was probably thinking that he would take the pain away if he could. The sympathy in his eyes also brought back a distant memory of a childhood accident involving Ashley as a four year old and a fall she took that required several stitches just above her eyebrow.

I'll never forget that day, as he watched the Dr.'s (it took several of them) force her to lye down as they wrapped her up so tightly that she couldn't move so that they could put the stitches in. She screamed in fear and frustration. As her father watched the scene he could see the terror is her eyes and I could see the love and empathy in his.

September 22nd of 2010, I saw that same look. His little girl was in pain and there was nothing he could do to stop it. At the age of four she didn't understand the benefits for the stitches, but 24 years later the benefits are well worth the pain. The next morning, September 24th, our beautiful little granddaughter, Cora Rose Brassea was born. She's so perfect in every way to us. Ashley is a mother for the first time and her pain made us grandparents for the first time. We love our little Cora more that words can express.

I am reminded of another father who suffered the same agony as He watched his son suffer in pain and eventually die. But this sons' death brought about a new birth as well. The father is God almighty, his son is Jesus Christ and the new birth was made possible by his pain. This new birth happens every time a sinner comes to the son and repents of the sin in his heart and accepts the sacrifice that Jesus made when he gave his life for all mankind. What a wonderful treasure that gift is to us. I thank God every day for the wonderful gift of His son Jesus.