my birthday boy

My son Elijah was born 5 years ago. The birth experience was a difficult one for both my wife and I. As a father you mostly stand around getting yelled at by the future mom, the nurses, and any one else that happens to see you standing around while your wife is going through pain men will never know. But more than that, our son Elijah was born with his umbilical cord wrapped around his neck, twice. As he came into the world all the medical personnel began to make all the necessary arrangements to ensure that Elijah was okay. I, unfortunately, was not allowed to cut the cord. I was not allowed to touch him until they finished all the required tests. I simply stood in the middle of the room unable to do much of anything.

As Elijah was being attended to by the great nurses, Heather was receiving attention from the doctor. I was stuck between attending to my wife - which the doctors told me to stay back until they finished - and attending to my son - which the nurses told me to stay back until they finished! I was left to stand there and pray that God would do what I couldn't: help.

I learned a valuable lesson standing in the delivery room that day. The lesson was simple but it is still graven on my heart to this day. I must pray. I must pray because I am powerless to do anything else more important than to look after the ones I love by asking the King of Kings to do what He is all but too pleased to do; look after His people.

I have come to realize just how powerless I really am. Although the feeling I had that day was one of helplessness I have come to truly understand what God was teaching me that day. More than providing for my family monetarily and physically, I have been charged to provide for my family by admitting how truly powerless I am and to pray for my family in all situations. In that way I am more helpful than any nurse or physician could be because there stands Jesus listening to the prayers of a desperate father and making intercession to the Father on my behalf.

Elijah is now 5 years old and stands as a living reminder to me. When I see him I hug him, kiss him, Obama fist pump him because on the day he was born I didn't know if I would ever have that opportunity. And when I see him I pray for him and our family because I now know there is little in this world more powerful or more helpful than the prayers of a father for his family.