Therefore The Lord himself will give you a sign. Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel.
On October 30 in Indianapolis, our daughter Laura gave birth to our first grandchild–a beautiful, healthy baby girl. Ben and Laura named her Martine, after my mother, who celebrated her 90th birthday this year. Oh, how absolutely thrilled we all were with this special child whose arrival was eagerly awaited.
When little Martine was about two weeks old, my Mom (MawMaw) was admitted to the hospital with an excruciating case of pancreatitis. Serious complications developed, so little Martine’s parents decided to take their first road trip to Nashville to see Mom. There were many questions back and forth about their trip. One was, do we surprise MawMaw, or tell her we are coming?
The decision was that I would tell her they were coming to Nashville the next afternoon.
Just hearing that she would meet her young namesake the next day brought a big smile to Mom’s face. She told all the nurses, doctors, and dietary people that the baby whose pictures decorated her hospital room was coming to see her on Saturday.
Of course little Martine’s visit lifted Mom’s spirits and helped her move pain and discomfort to the background for a while. But the anticipation of her namesake’s visit doubled the joy and enjoyment.
Perhaps this is part of the reason that the birth of a child named Immanuel was foretold long before it happened. Today’s burdens and hardships are easier to bear when we know the future holds something bright.
——
God, thank you for sending Immanuel to us. Help us remember that you are always with us, in good and not-so-good times.
-Dana Feldman
Northminster Presbyterian Church 