As a Father Has Compassion...

The perinatologist watched intently as the ultrasound technician measured each detail of our baby's brain and spine. I wished they'd move straight to the kidneys, but it seems these come near last in the long order of the anatomical survey. He questioned Matt and I about our previous pregnancies, wanting to know exactly what we were watching for today.

"Well, our son showed only one kidney at twenty weeks," I explained, turning my head away from the screen to talk to him, "and two of our daughters showed echogenic (bright) kidneys at twenty weeks."

I would have delved into more detail, but he interrupted me, and in one casual comment erased weeks of worry. "Well, there are your baby's kidneys right there," he shrugged, "and they look fine to me."

Reluctant to let my guard down, I questioned him further, "So you can see both kidneys? And they're normal sized? And they don't look echogenic? And the amniotic fluid level is normal?" He smiled and assured me that all looked perfectly healthy, but that they'd see me again in eight weeks to be sure. "I think you ought to leave here feeling pretty good today," he concluded. I looked back to the sweet, peaceful face of our baby on that screen and breathed a huge sigh of relief.

God has granted us a fifth child, our second son, who seems to be in perfect health. We could never take that for granted. We could not feel more blessed. Thank you to those who have stood by our side and upheld our family before him in prayer. And now, it's time to praise him.

Psalm 103

 ¹ Praise the LORD, my soul;
   all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
² Praise the LORD, my soul,
   and forget not all his benefits—
³ who forgives all your sins
   and heals all your diseases,
⁴ who redeems your life from the pit
   and crowns you with love and compassion,
⁵ who satisfies your desires with good things
   so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s...
⁸ ...The LORD is compassionate and gracious,
   slow to anger, abounding in love.
⁹ He will not always accuse,
   nor will he harbor his anger forever;
¹⁰ he does not treat us as our sins deserve
   or repay us according to our iniquities.
¹¹ For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
   so great is his love for those who fear him;
¹² as far as the east is from the west,
   so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
 ¹³ As a father has compassion on his children,
   so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him;
¹⁴ for he knows how we are formed,
   he remembers that we are dust.
¹⁵ The life of mortals is like grass,
   they flourish like a flower of the field;
¹⁶ the wind blows over it and it is gone,
   and its place remembers it no more.
¹⁷ But from everlasting to everlasting
   the LORD’s love is with those who fear him,
   and his righteousness with their children’s children—
¹⁸ with those who keep his covenant
   and remember to obey his precepts.