Our daughter was born on Christmas morning in 1980. We went to church on Christmas Eve and sang Silent Night in the choir at the little congregation that we belonged to. After the services, we were at our friend's house when contractions became regular. We went straight to the hospital instead of going home.
Now I had been a bit of a curmudgeon about Christmas for some reason. I had never allowed myself to get into the spirit of the season. But that night I knew that things would be profoundly different from then on. Cindy was in labor for several hours with little progression. It was becoming obvious that something different would have to occur. It was decided that Cindy would have a C-section in order for our daughter Renae, our first child, to be born.
At that point, I became a little bit alarmed, since I had not considered that possible outcome. It was a clear and cold night in December. I peered out the window of the Iowa Methodist Medical Center in Des Moines. I saw a lighted cross on the domed roof of a church next to the hospital. In that lighted cross, I saw a symbol of great hope on a winter evening when I had many pressing questions and concerns. In that moment, I was reassured that God is present in our lives. I knew that we were not alone.
Christmas has never been the same. I am always filled with gratitude when I think of that time. I sometimes reflect on the countless people who have also looked out on that cross at a time of challenge in their lives. God can and will meet us at the time of our need.
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| Renae's baptism |
At that point, I became a little bit alarmed, since I had not considered that possible outcome. It was a clear and cold night in December. I peered out the window of the Iowa Methodist Medical Center in Des Moines. I saw a lighted cross on the domed roof of a church next to the hospital. In that lighted cross, I saw a symbol of great hope on a winter evening when I had many pressing questions and concerns. In that moment, I was reassured that God is present in our lives. I knew that we were not alone.
Christmas has never been the same. I am always filled with gratitude when I think of that time. I sometimes reflect on the countless people who have also looked out on that cross at a time of challenge in their lives. God can and will meet us at the time of our need.
Jerry and Cindy Tonneson live in Bettendorf.
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