I was born August 16th. 1962. which is kind of a funny story...
my dad's a preacher which made my mom a preacher's wife and later me a preacher's kid.
... yes, this is relevant. maybe not this minute but to my life story...
Dad had finished seminary (Southern Baptist Theological) and they were at their first church. they were young - 26ish - in a small church in the small town of Huntland, Tennessee.
... in 2010 the population was 872. so 1962 more like TINY ...
so small the closest hospital was in Fayetteville about 20 miles away.
... i just looked that up for the first time :-) knowledge is power! ...
back then moms went to a labor room (then delivery, then recovery) and dads went to the waiting room...
as the story goes... dad took mom to the hospital in Fayetteville. i imagine my mom gets settled and my dad asks the doc "so how long do you think?"
... of course he would have first said "Jerry Songer". the "I'm" is silent...
the doc says "oh it'll be awhile. first babies can be slow, you know?"
... no actually he didn't. this was his first and they don't teach babies in seminary...
so Dad asks Mom "you think i have time to run back to church for my wedding?"
... what?! you're leaving your wife and the birth of your first child for a WEDDING? ...
Mom says, full of grace, confidence and selfless behavior most appropriate for a preacher's wife, "absolutely! i'm fine, you run on, they NEED you."
... i have no doubt that's how it went. my mom ...
so my dad leaves my mom (and me) and i'm sure speeds to the wedding, conducts his fastest ceremony up to that poitn, and speeds back to the hospital.
... surprisingly not with a police escort although he would definitely have asked for one if felt it was needed ...
at the hospital he is escorted to the hall with the windows into the nursery. there he sees "Baby Songer" - his baby girl - his little doll - wrapped in swaddling clothes lying in a bassinet or something like that.
...yep, he missed the whole thing. he didn't get to wait in the waiting room at all :-(
if you know my mom and dad, none of this surprises you, does it?
my dad has always been where he needed to be when he needed to be there and my mom always made sure he was where he needed to be while she took care of everything else :-)
... that's how i came into the world and how my parents - well, became parents.
almost 13 months later my brother Mark was born and 23 months after him my brother Brent.
so the morale of the story is...
when it comes to life's big moments, trust God's timing.
a baby's? not so much :0)
PS i don't know when i first heard this story but b/c there was a wedding involved and weddings are usually on Saturday (right?) i always assumed i was born on a Saturday.
just THIS week - i'm 53 (you already did the math, right?) - i asked Dad if it was a Saturday (no idea why) and he said "no, i believe it was a Thursday". really?
first of all, good job dad! i have 4 kids and i have no idea what day of the week any were born (no surprise i'm sure.)
secondly, who gets married on Thursday and why?? could a shotgun wedding have created my birth story? hummmm i think there's some irony there somewhere.
this story will be continued i'm sure... :-)
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