Happy Birthday!

It’s another year and am super thankful and excited as I look forward to enjoying more of God’s love, mercy, grace, peace, favour and all His benefits He daily loads us with.

As a way of reflecting on life and God’s goodness today, I share a narrative on ‘the birth of star’. Some people call it autobiography, others accept it as fiction, but I can tell you it’s a mixture of both. Nonetheless, it carries the message that we are a miracle brought forth to shine, to add colour and beauty to the world. Never stop shinning, always remember, you count.

The Delivery

It was a bright beautiful morning, Tuesday the 8th of September, mum had been pretty paced about and although somewhat ready for my grand entrance into the world, it didn’t seem obvious as there was the worry of timing; is it going to be today or are we going to wait a little more? A month to this day, mum had a dream concerning a cut. She wasn’t sure if it was going to be the baby or herself. She however shared the story with dad who quickly took action, requesting that a blood match be done and reserved prior to the delivery date.

On the morning of the 8th, mum had been having contractions, they hadn’t been consistent as she was still 2-3 cm dilated. She had been to the hospital almost frequently in the last 48 hours. The hospital was just a 3 minute walk from the house. She was checked, monitored for a few hours on these days and was asked to go home and keep watch. She quickly tried to get herself ready and prepared for the day as usual, had a shower and headed down stairs for breakfast. Just after 10am, she felt pretty uncomfortable; with lots of movement and frequent contractions occurring almost simultaneously. Having gone through this birth routine four times already, she was almost certain this might just be it. The timing was perfect, dad walked in the room and she beckoned to him, I think it’s time. He quickly called the hospital to inform them of their trip to the hospital and rushed upstairs to get mum’s packed bag of things she was going to need at least for the next few hours or days. He beckons on aunty A as he heads back down stairs and they all rush off to the hospital.

At the hospital, mum was being catered for notwithstanding she had been experiencing more excruciating pains which didn’t seem like anything she had experienced at her previous deliveries. She had nurses giving her the drill; oh it’s going to be okay, you need to breathe, keep calm and the likes, a doctor will be here soon to get the baby out. This worried mum a bit but she needed to be strong for herself as well as the baby, she realised at this point that she had no other choice but to depend on prayers that all will be well. After about 5 hours of holding on to the pampering which was beginning to wane, the matron who had been coming in every now and again to make sure everything was okay, noticed some complications and felt it was a matter of emergency that I be brought out as soon as possible. She quickly headed back to the ward and was more than thrilled to bump into the doctor who was panting from the run he had to do to get to the ward.

Just as they got mum in the theatre, and began the drill for my arrival, it was like a miracle; what seemed to be needing more medical attention, ended with me coming into the world with little or no efforts from the nurses or even mum herself. Everyone in the room was as amazed, startled and joyful as could be; it’s a girl a nurse exclaimed. However, mum began to bleed profusely but as God would have it, the blood already reserved was brought and mum’s life was saved. I was all wrapped up and moved with mum into a private ward. The next morning, family members and friends trooped in and out of the ward dropping congratulatory messages and gifts for mum and I. Like a miracle brought forth I was delivered on the 8th of September and as the psalmist proclaimed,

‘For You shaped me, inside and out. You knitted me together in my mother’s womb long before I took my first breath’.

Happy Birthday to all 8^th September babies more celebrations to come. And never forget, you are a miracle brought forth to amaze your world.