Luck or Divine Intervention?

When I was pregnant with Jacob, I started going into labor at 31.5 weeks. All the tests my doctor did pointed toward me having him in the next few weeks after that. I was terrified. I did not want another preemie. I did not want another NICU stay.

So I followed my doctor's instructions - complete bedrest for a few days. Then I progressed to sitting with my feet up almost all day. No lifting Samantha. No cooking. No housework. Beginning in the early evening, only laying down on the couch for the rest of the evening. I told my doctor that I WAS NOT having this baby until at least the beginning of December. He laughed at me. No way was I going to make it that long. We also asked everyone we knew to be praying for us. For the labor to not only not progress but stop. And for the baby to not be born until December.

When I went back to the doctor two weeks later, he was surprised to find that the labor had stopped. All but one of the signs that had pointed to an early delivery were gone. And the one that was left was tempered by another sign that pointed to delivery not being soon.

The doctor still didn't expect me to make it to December, but I did. In fact, I was not in labor the morning that I walked into the hospital to have Jacob at 39 weeks and one day.

Our conclusion from all of this was that I had overdone things the weekend before I went into early labor, and that the bedrest and modified activity afterward stopped it before it really got started. We thanked God, but it was just a general thank you. We never really considered that it was His intervention rather than my lack of activity that stopped the labor from progressing any further.

I just started thinking about this recently, and I wonder how often we do this? How often do I specifically ask God for something, then thank him offhandedly for granting that desire, and not really think about the fact that he did, in fact grant what I asked, but instead think it is more good fortune rather than God's work? It is amazing to really think about. The God of the universe, who created everyone and everything, takes the time not only to listen to me, but to frequently grant the desire of my heart. And you does the same for you and everyone else as well. And he keeps doing it even though I don't give him credit most of the time.