Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!—Psalm 107:8, KJV
To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.—Ephesians 1:6, KJV
By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.—Hebrews 13:15, KJV
I would like to share an experience that occurred in Pune, India.
Sometime in the late fifties, a young mother from Hyderabad was preparing to deliver her first baby. The doctor was her own mother, a renowned gynecologist and a graduate from a Christian medical college in Ludhiana. She was a brilliant lady named Mrs. Kamala Sudhi.
The young mother planned to have her baby in Kachiguda where her younger sister lived, so that is where she traveled to. Then one evening the young woman went into labor. In only a little more than two hours, she delivered a beautiful baby girl. But it appeared the baby was stillborn, for when the baby was picked up and turned upside down, she did not cry as is the normal reaction for most newborn infants.
The doctor was about to hand the motionless baby to the nurse when she suddenly heard a very faint sound, rather than a cry, coming from the baby. She noticed an obstruction in her throat. Quickly, she inserted a tube and extracted phlegm that had accumulated.
That tiny baby girl, delivered that long-ago evening by my grandmom, was none other than me. When I grew old enough to understand, Grandmother always told me that God had a purpose for me and that is why He had given me new life just moments after my birth. God did have a plan for my life, as He does for yours. Not only have I been a teacher for thirty-five years, but I also carry the joys and responsibilities of being the wife of a pastor and church leader.
I am so thankful to the Lord that He spared my life so I that could testify to others about Him. I will always praise the Lord as long as I have breath. Amen.
Rhoda Shinge
First published in In His Presence (Nampa, ID: Pacific Press), 2018.
Carolyn R. Sutton, editor
