Precious and Unique

“What, then, will this child be? For surely the hand of the Lord was with him.” Luke 1:66

John the Baptist was the last of the great prophets. His coming was prophesied in the 3rd chapter of the book of Malachi. “Thus says the Lord God: Lo, I am sending my messenger to prepare the way before me.” His birth was preceded by some unprecedented events. An angel came to his father Zechariah in the temple and Zechariah was struck dumb. His barren mother Elizabeth became pregnant in her old age as foretold by the angel in the temple. Mary, the mother of Jesus visited Elizabeth, and when she greeted Elizabeth, the baby in Elizabeth’s womb leapt for joy. Then Zechariah, when asked what the baby boy would be called, wrote down the name John to the surprise of many, he suddenly could speak after many months of silence! So yes indeed, many were marveling about this child and wondering, “What then will this child be? What will he become? What will be his destiny?” 

I delight in my 4 year old grandchild, the son of my niece. He is interested in so many things, and yesterday he was asking me what my sickness was because he wanted to give me medicine. When I told him I had a hard time breathing, he went to his little table and was “pouring and mixing”, concocting something in his “laboratory” for me to drink. Eventually he gave me a container of “rose water and grape” and had me drink it. He even encouraged, “simot, simot” which means to finish it to the last drop. After me, he went to his Lolo Loo to cure him of laziness and I forget what else! Luigi was given grass medicine that tasted like macha, and he was told he could do many things already because he was not lazy anymore! He is a precious, wonderful little boy, and a bright spot. I wonder what will be his destiny, what his future will bring. He said he wants to be a doctor. 

All of us are precious and unique in the eyes of God even if our birth was not announced by an angel. We are all fearfully and wonderfully made as proclaimed in Psalm 139:14. Sadly others don’t believe that and seek to kill their own babies in their wombs, or enact legislations to make it legal to get rid of a baby even when he or she is fully formed in the image of likeness of God! Imagine how many precious lives have been lost and continue to be lost when the world refuses to see human beings through the eyes of God?