Unexpected News: No Hospital Room for Expectant Mom
It’s unexpected news today to hear there’s no hospital room available for an expectant mom to deliver her baby.
I wasn’t going to blog the week of Christmas, but this story is begging to be told. Our daughter is nine months pregnant. Any moment now, she will give birth to a son. He is positioned and ready. We’re just waiting on him to make his journey! However, at the time of this writing, there is no birthing room available for them.
Our daughter and her husband chose a smaller hospital because they love the obstetricians there. Also, they know the larger hospital has a lot of COVID cases and so they are hoping the smaller facility will be safer.
However, when my daughter went for her weekly check-up this week, the week of Christmas, she heard there are no OB rooms currently available.
Of course, they’ll make arrangements by either outfitting a regular room for delivery or they’ll send her to the larger hospital. We’re praying a new mom is discharged soon so a room becomes available at the hospital of our daughter’s choice.
But, this all reminds me of another expectant mom, long ago. She, also, was told there was no available room for her to give birth to her son.
Unexpected News
It wasn’t the first time Mary, the mother of Jesus, had received unexpected news. There was the angel’s message that she, a virgin, would give birth to the long-awaited Messiah. Following that was the news of Mary’s elderly cousin, Elizabeth, who was expecting a child as well. Then, in the overcrowded city of Bethlehem Mary heard there was no room available for her to deliver her son.
Unexpected news. We’ve all received it. Sometimes, it’s delightful. Other times, it’s disturbing. Receiving delightful news isn’t a problem. But anything less than that, then we begin to wonder.
God, are You aware of this? Is this the best You can do?
The Room May Not Meet Our Expectations
No room. No room for you in a relationship. No room for you in your workplace. No room for you in your community. No room.
It’s easy to get discouraged when we feel we’re missing out, lacking, rejected. We wonder how can this happen after we’ve prepared for so long, worked so diligently, and loved so much.
No room doesn’t mean God isn’t aware or doesn’t care. God works through the unexpected. Quite often, that’s exactly where we sense His presence the most, if we’ll pause and listen. Wait and watch.
Time and time again we find evidence in the Bible of God’s presence and provision during circumstances the people did not expect. And He was there when Joseph and Mary were told there was no room for giving birth. It may not have been the room they expected, but He faithfully and sufficiently provided.
God will provide a room for our daughter when it’s time to give birth. And, He will faithfully and sufficiently provide for all of His children. For a time, He will even extend His love and grace to those who do not wholeheartedly call Him their Father.
God provides the room we are missing in our lives. The only room we’ll ever really need is readily available through the provision of His Son, Jesus Christ.
Blessings in the Unexpected
Blessings come through the unexpected. Stronger relationships, better jobs, new opportunities. Protection, salvation, freedom.
We were greatly blessed by the birth of the Messiah. He always foreknew, but surprised humankind, when He entered into this world as a baby.
Whatever your “unexpected” looks likes right now, keep looking to the One who opens the door to a spacious place. Pray. Trust in His loving care. Even when you can’t see immediate results, God is working wonders.
He brought me out into a spacious place;
he rescued me because he delighted in me.
2 Samuel 22:20
On earth, we know there will be unexpected hardships and suffering. Yet, we must remember if we fully trust in who Jesus Christ is, and what He has already done for us, then we can trust He will meet all of our needs. Even if it’s not the room we first imagined.
