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ome years ago Dr. Frederic Loomis, an obstetrician, faced one of the greatest challenges of his life. One of his patients, a fragile young woman, was carrying her first child. As best he could, he sought to help her as she struggled to keep her emotional and nervous reactions under control.

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One month before the baby was due, a routine examination showed that the baby was in a breach position. That is, instead of coming into the world head first (which is the safest way for a baby to be born), the baby comes feet or seat first. The danger with these births is that the umbilical cord can get compressed between the baby\'s head and the mother\'s bony pelvis cutting off the tiny infant\'s supply of oxygen—without which the baby will die in a few short minutes. Time is of the greatest essence in these births.

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This particular case was a \"complete\" breach—the baby\'s legs and feet being folded under it, tailor-fashion. As the baby was ready to be born, Dr. Loomis gently drew down on one little foot. Next he drew on the other foot, but it didn\'t respond. As the baby\'s body moved down, he noticed that it was a girl. And then, only he saw that the entire thigh from the hip to the knee was missing. Quickly he wrapped the warm towel—readied to keep the baby\'s body warm while struggling to be born—around the baby\'s one leg.

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Then followed the greatest struggle Dr. Loomis ever faced. He envisioned a girl growing up different from her peers, sitting alone, being gawked at, unable to participate in any kind of athletic activities, never being invited out on dates—lonely, insecure and forlorn.

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He could also \"see\" the agony of this young mother with such a burden to carry. \"Don\'t bring this suffering upon them,\" he reasoned to himself. \"This baby has never taken a breath—don\'t let her ever take one.\"

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He envisioned a girl ... being gawked
at ... never being invited out on
dates—lonely, insecure and forlorn.

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He glanced at the clock. Three of the allotted seven or eight minutes had passed. Nobody in the room knew of his struggle and intention. He would slow the birth. Nobody else would ever know. In a few short minutes it would all end. The mother would grieve but would be greatly relieved that she didn\'t have the responsibility of bringing up such a handicapped child.

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Right then the baby\'s good foot popped out from beneath the towel and pressed against the doctor\'s hand. Then her body heaved with a surge of energy—it was wanting to be born.

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The doctor could not do what he planned. He delivered the baby with her pitiful little leg.

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Dr. Loomis said, \"Every foreboding came true. The mother was in a hospital for several months. I saw her once or twice and she looked like a wraith of her former self. I heard of them indirectly from time to time ... Finally I lost track of them altogether.

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\"As the years went on, I blamed myself bitterly for not having had the strength to yield to my temptation.\"

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Years later, as was the custom of the nurses at the hospital where Dr. Loomis served, an impressive Christmas party for the hospital staff and doctors was held. This year was particularly interesting. Every doctor and staff member who could be there was.

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When the nurses, beautifully attired in their spotless uniforms, entered in procession, the audience stood as one to honor them. Then, from the back of the auditorium entered twenty more young nurses, each holding a lighted candle and singing the familiar strains of \"Silent night, holy night, all is calm, all is bright....\"

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The spotlight then focused on the elaborately decorated Christmas tree with every decoration shimmering with unusual beauty. Then the spotlight moved to center stage as the curtain was slowly drawn aside to reveal three lovely young musicians, all in glistening white evening gowns—a harpist, a cello player, and a violinist. Together with the organ the beautiful harmony of their music brought tears to many eyes.

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The harpist played so exceptionally well that at the close of the evening Dr. Loomis waited to congratulate her.

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As he sat alone waiting, a lady came running down the aisle and with outstretched arms excitedly cried out, \"You saw her. You must have recognized your baby. That was my daughter who played the harp—I saw you watching her. Don\'t you remember the little girl who was born with only one good leg 17 years ago? We tried everything else first, but now she has a whole artificial leg on that side—but you would never know it, would you? She can walk, she can swim, and she can almost dance.

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\"But, best of all, through all those years when she couldn\'t do those things, she learned to use her hands so wonderfully ... She is so happy ... And here she is!\"

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And then they met ... Instinctively Dr. Loomis reached out and embraced the one whose life he came so close to destroying before she had a chance to live.

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\"You will never know, my dear,\" he said, \"you never will know, nor will anyone else in all the world, just what tonight has meant to me. Go back to your harp for a moment, please—and play ‘Silent Night\' for me alone. I have a load on my shoulders that no one has ever seen, a load that only you can take away.\"¹

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How precious is the gift of life. There is only one gift that is greater—that is the gift of eternal life.

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As the years went on, I blamed
myself bitterly for not having had the
strength to yield to my temptation.

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Some time ago one of my sons was upset with me about something. What I did I have long since forgotten but I will never forget what he said. In his frustration he blurted out, \"Why did you have me anyhow?\"

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I paused for a moment and then replied from the depths of my heart, \"Because you were part of God\'s eternal plan.\"

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And that is true of you and me also. From the moment we were conceived in our mother\'s womb, God knew us by name. And we, too, are a part of his eternal plan. But at our birth only God could see our handicap. We were deformed, too—not physically perhaps—but spiritually. Because of our sinful nature, we were born spiritually dead and cut off from God—the giver of all life. But because we were so precious to and so loved by him, he sent his Son, Jesus, on that first Christmas to come to earth to die in our place for our sins, to deliver us from eternal death, and to give to us the greatest gift of all—the gift of eternal life. God has this gift for you, too. Whatever you do, don\'t leave earth without it. There could be no greater tragedy.

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Note: If you would like to accept God\'s gift of forgiveness and eternal life, click on the \"God\'s Invitation\" button link below for a prayer to help you do this.

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1. Adapted from Christmas in My Heart, Book 2, by Joe L. Wheeler. Herald Publishing Association, 55 W. Oak Ridge Drive, Hagerstown, MD 21740, U.S.A.

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