Proof of Grace

The beginning

It was a cold and rainy October afternoon. The hospital was a buzz with nurses, patients and Doctors. A couple arrive in an ambulance with their daughter and another on the way. They get to the admitting desk and are immediately told to sit and wait. The husband, who is anxious about the birth, exclaims " can't I fill this out while she gets a room? She's in labour!" The nurse looks at him with soft eyes and says "I understand that sir, but most of these women are as well. Please have a seat, and fill out these forms, and we will get to you as soon as we can." She added, " if her condition escalates please be sure to inform us right away." They went to sit in the waiting area and fill out the forms, but as they were on the way her water broke. The husband rushed back to the desk "I am here to inform you that her condition has changed." He said through clenched teeth trying to hide his frustration. The nurse then called for a wheelchair and the wife was given a room. Minutes later the daughter was brought into the room so she could see her mother and father. She had many questions, but was told to keep them to herself until later.

The birth was your standard 8 hours of labour, and at the end of it the result was a healthy baby boy. The husband cradling the baby in his arms, in awe of the miracle of life, said to his wife "isn't it amazing? For nine months we waited, and then two weeks longer, and now he is here, our son James is here." Ruth began to cry " how can we afford another baby?" she sobbed. "You aren't working much these days, and Nancy is still in diapers! How can we do it?" Herman looked at her, looked down at his new son, looked over to where Nancy was sleeping in the chair, looked back to Ruth and said "we got to have faith, the Lord will take care of us, he will provide." Herman and Ruth had been attending a local church in Winnipeg Manitoba since they were married in 1975. There had been some tensions between the church and Herman for a couple months now, but every time it got rough Herman always hung on the hope of faith.

Now back in 1978, the doctors kept the mothers and babies in the hospital an extra day or two to make sure everything was alright with the child. Also he nurses could help the mothers figure out how to get the child to feed. Not every child is the same so they wanted to make sure the child would. While in the hospital Herman had a chance to think about life with the new baby. They had one daughter already, and things were tough enough, but this boy, this boy would make things all the more difficult. He had a steady job, but wasn't sure it was going to be enough to provide for his growing family. There was concern, and a little fear mixed in with a little frustration, and Herman did not deal with stress well. He began to drink again, not heavily at first, it was a glass here and there. When the baby came home it escalated.

The day the new born came home was to be a day of joy and welcoming. Friends and family over to congratulate the lucky couple on their new gift from above. People there to offer help when needed. Church members offering meals and babysitting as required to ease the change of routine. Unfortunately this day did not go like that.