By:  Betty Predmore

I had the most incredible experience recently! I was able to be in the delivery room as my niece gave birth to her precious baby girl. This was my first time to be present at the actual delivery of a baby, other than my own. It is an entirely different experience as a spectator. My niece was so incredibly strong throughout the process, and seeing that sweet baby come into this world was a wondrous experience that I will never forget.
It made me think back to what that night in Bethlehem must have been like. What a glorious night that must have been! How strong was Mary as she brought our Lord and Savior into the world? Did Joseph hold her hand and comfort her? Did he whisper reassuringly into her ear as she fought through the pain? Did that sweet baby Jesus enter this world with a loud cry or a soft whimper? This baby did not have the creature comforts of a hospital, for he was born in a stable. “And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.” (Luke 2:7) Though this baby was born without the comfort and security of a hospital, He had something far greater. He had the Father in Heaven orchestrating his birth, and nothing could have been safer or more secure than that.
Just like my new little niece was a special gift to her family, baby Jesus was also a gift. He was a gift to this world! He was a promise of hope and salvation to all who accepted Him. “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (Romans 10:13) He is the gift that continues to give throughout the ages…the incredible gift of eternity!
As I watched my niece snuggle with her newborn baby, I saw the love and the bond that had already formed. What a great love a parent has for a child. As mothers, we feel that there can be nothing quite like that love we feel for our children. It is such a special bond. This is a point that reminds me how great the love must be that our Father in Heaven has for us. That He would sacrifice his own child for us, for our sins. “For God so loved the world, that He gave his only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16) That is the definition of sacrifice. Why did He do this? His love for us is so great, his compassion so marvelous. He wished that all of us would have the opportunity for an eternal life in glory with Him through Christ Jesus. “ For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him.” (John 3:17)
What a gift our salvation is! What an honor to be loved so much by the King of Kings! As we celebrate gift-giving during this Christmas season, let us not forget to give the greatest gift of all by sharing the love of Jesus with those who are lost. This can be done in so many ways…feeding the hungry, providing warm clothes and shelter, or buying gifts for the less fortunate. It can also be done by a smile, a kind word, a hug, and sharing the gospel. It doesn’t matter how you chose to do it, just do it. Share the love of Jesus….He is the perfect gift!

By Betty Predmore
I’m sorry, but your son is blind.”. Not words I wanted to hear on that dreary February day almost 23 years ago as I held my sweet little two-month-old baby boy close to my chest. As I absorbed the shock of the doctor’s words, I struggled to hold back my tears and be brave in the face of the news.
I had a nagging feeling that something wasn’t quite right. It had been four years since I had a newborn, and I couldn’t quite remember at what stage they really started following things with their eyes. I knew he wasn’t, and I was pretty sure that he should be. I remember asking the “WHY ME?” questions. I remember being so frustrated and terrified. I wondered how I would ever describe anything to a child who had no idea of color. Would he go through life never knowing what his parents and siblings looked like? Would he never see a sunrise or a smile? How would I explain the beauty of the ocean or the majesty of the forest? How do you describe those things? 2 Corinthians 5:7 tells us “We live by faith, not by sight.” I wanted my son to have faith, but I wanted him to have his sight as well. I remember my aunt telling me that God gave this little boy to us because He knew we would love him and give him the best life we could, despite whatever handicaps he might have. I clung to her words.
Our God is such an awesome and amazing God! He has such a magnificent way of lining things up just perfectly. The day we got the news, a former classmate saw me on my way out of the doctor. I told her what I had just heard. Her sister happened to have her child at the eye specialist (who just happened to be here from San Diego that same day), and she called and got us in within a few hours. These things were not “coincidences”. These were evidence that God is with us, putting His plan together even before we are aware. We weren’t given much hope from the specialist, but our little baby boy had surgery a few days later.
Every church in town was praying for us. People we didn’t even know lifted our family in prayer. People stopped me on the streets to tell me they had prayed for our son. Prayer is so powerful, and God honors the prayer of a righteous person, and He honored the prayers of all those faithful prayer warriors! “Lord my God, I called to you for help, and you healed me.” Psalm 30:2. That little boy (who ended up with some pretty thick eyeglasses), was the top reader in his elementary classes, got his driver’s license right on time, and is a living testimony of what God can do when we seek Him. “The Lord sustains them on their sickbed and restores them from their bed of illness.” Psalm 41:3
Why should that surprise me? We all know what miracles our Lord is capable of. Bartimaeus sat by the road begging, unable to see the passers by due to his blindness. When he realized that Jesus was passing by, he cried out “Jesus, son of David, have mercy on me!” Even though he was asked to be quiet by the crowd, he cried out again, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” Jesus called Bartimaeus to him and asked what his need was, to which Bartimaeus replied, “Rabboni, that I may receive my sight.” Jesus honored the faith that Bartimaeus had and said to him, “Go your way; your faith has made you well.” This is a beautiful story of the miraculous healing that was so freely given by our Savior, and he did the same for that sweet baby I loved so much.
I never doubt the power of prayer. I never doubt what our God can do. I have seen firsthand the miracles He is capable of. I have seen Him take sadness and turn it to joy. I have experienced the miracle of healing in my family on more than one occasion. I am so grateful for my God who never left me during that time of fear and worry. Even when I did not see Him, He was there. He didn’t leave my son, and He won’t leave you. Open your heart to the Mighty Healer and have faith that He will hear your prayers. Open your eyes to see fully all the gifts He has given you. Be like Bartimaeus…He went from being BY the road, begging for Jesus to being ON the road, following Jesus. He will NEVER leave you, He will NEVER forsake you, He will ALWAYS be at your side.