Twenty rapid years ago I begged the doctor to deliver you on Christmas Day. I was exhausted after eight months of rib kicking and sickness. Only 36 hours of labor and you finally decided to introduce yourself the day AFTER Christmas. You nearly gave both dad and I a heart attack after the doctor grabbed you by the feet, hung you upside down, blue, weighing only four pounds.
A giant, metal breast pump was rolled into the hospital room and I asked in horror, “what is that?!” The so-called friendly nurse told me to get busy pumping. After being in the ICU for a night, they left me alone with you! I think I asked, “what do I do with it?!” You looked at me with hopeful eyes... as though you looked to me for all the answers in the world.
So I attempted to change your diaper. I forgot that was what had to happen when you get a tiny human. So I laid you down on a cold surface in a dark room. “THE TAPE IS STUCK TO HIS SKIN! What do I do?! The poor thing is crying. I forgot these things called babies cry too!”
I know who can fix this problem. There’s a special little button in the room that you can push in case of emergency. Pressing it I’m expectantly waiting for help. Dashing in, the nurse is waiting for a scene.
After I explain about the tape, she shakes her head, scolds me, “honey... you need to learn to change a diaper if you want to take him home.” I thought that was hard... until your dear grandma introduced cloth diapers to me. I stabbed you in the same place I couldn’t get the tape off of in the hospital.
At least we saved money, but you got cold every night at least twice. So we were up a lot changing cloth diapers. I don’t think this story is turning out to be very sentimental. But neither did you. Yet, you strangely love to be nostalgic when it comes to tea, books, Asian food, classical music, coffee, and photography. Did I mention food?
Seriously though, God used you to save my life! Then God used me to save dads, then dad was used to save grandmas!
You started a chain reaction of salvation in our family. Crazy how one person has so much purpose coming into the world to make a change.
People would always tell us, “don’t blink.” Time slipped into the future and here you are all grown up. No matter where you go, the Lord will be with you. The world doesn’t define you in any way. It’s not about what kind of occupation you have or the car you drive, not your education, your looks or who you know in this world.
You are unique to God and you know the creator personally and that is all that matters. At the end of the Gospel of Matthew Jesus commissioned his disciples to go out into the world. He also told them this very important thing... “Without a doubt, I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Life will hit hard, and unexpected things will happen. Nevertheless, if you can believe you are a disciple that Jesus loves, when trials, failure, hardship come, you will be a house built upon a rock and realize all else is sinking sand. All that matters in life is that you know and understand that Jesus loves you. Happy Birthday Calvin Cosmo Thrasher. I’m just glad I talked your dad out of naming you Wolfgang.
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