Amariah, Jannekah, Martin and  Ezriel Guya

I love how every birth is so different.  Just when I think I know what to expect, when I think I’m sure of what’s going to happen next, I’m reminded that each birth is as different as each precious life it ushers in.  When I cuddle these beautiful brand new little babies and gaze into their captivating dark brown eyes, I never forget that they are a creation God had planned since the beginning of time.  Each one has a very unique and special purpose – a mission they alone were created to fulfill on this earth.  He has equipped each and every little one with the gifts and abilities, talents, desires, and passions to carry out His plan.  Hundreds, thousands, or even millions of lives are waiting for this one tiny little person to be who they are created to be.

But I also never forget that just as God has plans for these little lives, the enemy has plans for them as well.  Plans not to prosper them, but to keep them forever in the bondage of abject poverty.  Plans to harm them and bring disaster.  Plans to destroy all hope of a bright future.  Every day I see people who are living in the lie, hopelessness, and wretchedness of the enemy’s plan for their lives.  I can’t help but think about how one day, not too long ago, they too were sweet, precious, brand new little babies, fresh with the promises of God.  Praise Him that it’s never too late to surrender to Him and to start walking in His will and promises!

And that’s why, during this Advent season, how can I not marvel at the most important baby who was ever born and how HIS purpose was to save me and you and every precious little baby of all time?!  I’ve often imagined that the business of being born must be pretty unpleasant for a baby.  After all those months of being safe and warm in a cozy, rhythmic environment where all the harshness of the outside world is muffled or completely shut out, it must be a pretty rude awakening to be thrust into this bright, loud, cold, fallen world.  Jesus Christ went through all that and SO much more for US!  No wonder Philippians 2 says, “Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, He made Himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.”

That is passionate, radical love!  I was listening to a song this morning by John Mark McMillan that says, “He loves like a hurricane.” What a fascinating way to put it.  The chorus goes on to say, “Oh how he loves us, oh how He loves us, oh!” Indeed!!!

In his lyrics, Matthew Arnold Thiessen writes, “The first time that you opened your eyes did you realize that you would be my Savior, and the first breath that left your lips, did you know that it would change this world forever? I celebrate the day that you were born to die so I could one day pray for you to save my life.”

So I guess you could say, Jesus was born to fulfill a purpose on this earth that would enable all of us to accomplish the purposes we were born to fulfill!  And that’s the most important reason why we do what we do - why we work hard and pray hard to make sure these babies are born safely to live the lives God created them to live.  And we continue to tell the story of another little baby who was born to die so they could one day ask Him to save their lives and enable them to become who they’ve always been meant to be.  Oh how He loves us!

Blessings, Jannekah Guya