It’s A Boy!

“And Abraham was an hundred years old, when his son Isaac was born unto him. And Sarah said, God hath made me to laugh, so that all that hear will laugh with me. And she said, Who would have said unto Abraham, that Sarah should have given children suck? for I have born him a son in his old age.”

Genesis 21: 5-7

That summer in 2003 would forever change our lives as we welcomed our first child, Nathaniel Rosendo Mendez, into this world. We had grand dreams of a beautiful baby boy who would so enrich our lives with blissfulness from the time of his birth to the time we waved goodbye as he left for his honeymoon. He came out of the womb at a whopping 9lbs 2oz, and we could not believe how big he was. Rebekah had a hard time delivering him, and when we first saw him, we realized why it was so hard for her to push him out. He was a monster baby, but little did we know that it was just the beginning.  

Psalm 127:3 states, “Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.” Although this verse is true, Nate did not always seem like a reward, and we wondered if he was sent from the Lord to torment us. He was a big baby and seemed to come with a built-in tape worm. He kept poor Rebekah up all the time and it seemed like she was always eating to keep up with his insatiable appetite. When he was not eating, he was crying to eat more and he did not seem to sleep more than four hours. He kept us on our toes and he did not sleep through the night until he was ten months old. Everyone told us that he would sleep at least 16-18 hours a day, but apparently, he was not aware of that expectation. We would rock and rock him in the middle of the night, only to realize that his eyes were as open as a Circle K. 

Nate eventually leaned to sleep through the night, although it seemed to take forever. As he began to grow, we began to appreciate him more and enjoy our little guy. When he is gone from the house on a trip, Rebekah worries a bit about him until he is home again. Children are a gift from the Lord, although we sometimes don’t always see it that way. I cannot imagine our lives without Nate, and I am grateful to God for the son He has given us. Rebekah and I were in our twenties when he was born, so I cannot imagine how it was for Abraham and Sarah who were well into their old age when their son, Isaac, was born.

Isaac was so precious to Abraham and Sarah because he was a fulfillment of a promise from almighty God. Age means nothing to God, and He does what He says He will do. Luke 1:37 states, “For with God nothing shall be impossible.” God is able to do that which seems impossible because He is without limitations, and He always keeps His promises. He promised Abraham that his offspring would be so great that it could not be numbered, and He fulfilled this promise with the birth of Isaac. God brought joy and happiness to Sarah through the birth of Isaac and people shared in her happiness because of the goodness of God. 

Do you doubt what God has promised you? Do you put limitations on what He can do? Are you inpatient in waiting for Him and expect Him to act on your timing? Have you come to realize that, with God, all things are possible? Isaiah 59:1 states, “Behold, the LORD’S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear:” May we pray according to His will, and may we pray expecting big things from a God who has no limitations. May we realize His blessings and goodness to us, and may we treasure our kids as a gift from God, even on the days when it seems like they are only here to destroy us. God’s gifts are always good, and the fulfillment of His promises is always on time. Thank Him for answered prayers and don’t doubt His goodness. God is good…all the time!