Liam

+Bishop Jon V. Anderson

As I held him, smiling, I kept thinking about all the people God used to help Liam reach the point he could be safely born as our first grandson. They are just the beginning of all the people God will use to help him grow into the person he is called to be.  God's ongoing creating love is something to get your mind around even when you are holding your grandson for the first time.

  About three months ago my daughter Laura entered into pre-term labor at 25 weeks.   After a week of hospitalization she went home for the next twelve weeks of bed rest. I would wake every morning to make sure there was not a text announcing they were back in the hospital.  Our first grandson was born on Jan. 27th. His name is Liam Cochrane.  He was five pounds and four ounces at birth.

 We give thanks to God for the many people God used to help him arrive safely. There were the doctors and nurses - especially the nurses in labor and delivery who walked with Laura during the initial labor, there were the people God used to comfort and guide her in the all the scares along the way and her delivery.  I am thankful for Liam's mom who was patient and put up with the boredom and discomfort of a lot of non-productive labor through the weeks and then the final labor of giving birth. I am thankful for his dad who also sacrificed a great deal to be able to support his mother before, during and after the labor.  I am thankful for all the friends and family who helped them in this journey.

 As I held him it also was a reminder of the fragile nature of Christ Jesus' birth. It was a reminder of how vulnerable Jesus was at his birth in a world without bilirubin lights and all the other supports we have for children born in our time. It was a moment full of joy after weeks of stress and fear and hope.

 We have deeper sympathy for those who have lost children.  I had conversations with family members and others who lost children to premature birth in a time when the medical technology was not able to stop the relentless contractions of premature labor. I remember my cousin who was not so much smaller than Liam who we buried out near Marietta.  May God bring them peace even as they treasure the memories of their loved ones who died so young and trust in God's resurrecting grace.

 We also have deeper understanding for all the mothers who are on bed rest now and others who have gone through this journey of premature labor.  May they experience peace and finally the joy of a timely and healthy birth.

 Life is an amazing and fragile gift. May we all be good stewards of those whom God has given us to love and care for, especially newborns like Liam.  

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