Lailah Gifty Akita, a Ghana-born author once remarked: “Just as a child is conceived in a womb of a woman, miraculously, so is grace freely given by God, in sacred moment of salvation.” Psalm 139:13-16 confirms: “For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.”
Conception is defined as the action of conceiving a child or of one being conceived. One of the most pertinent and miraculous antepartum messages quoted in the Bible is stated in Matthew 1:18-21 which reveals: “Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily.
But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins.”
Parturition naturally followed on the date assigned in English Christianity as commemorating His birth, the 25th of December.
Every birth is not only a precious gift, it is also regarded as a heritage from the Lord. Psalm 127:3 confirms: “Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward.”
Other amazing feats of conception have been recorded both in Scripture and in history. In Genesis 17 and the following chapters, God blessed Sarah, the wife of Abraham with conception after He had made Abraham the father of many nations. Although they had been childless throughout the years, they would give birth to a son called Isaac. Sarah, in her amazement, at the age of ninety laughed at the idea. But through God's faithfulness, the child was born. Genesis 21:1-7 confirms: The Lord visited Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did to Sarah as he had promised. And Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age at the time of which God had spoken to him. Abraham called the name of his son who was born to him, whom Sarah bore him, Isaac. And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old, as God had commanded him. Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him. And Sarah said, "God has made laughter for me; everyone who hears will laugh over me." And she said, "Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age."
Similarly, in Genesis 25, Isaac beseeched the Lord to open the womb of his wife Rebekah to produce an offspring at a mature age and shortly afterward she conceived both Jacob and Esau.
Genesis 25:19-28 confirms: These are the generations of Isaac, Abraham's son: Abraham fathered Isaac, and Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel the Aramean of Paddan-aram, the sister of Laban the Aramean, to be his wife. And Isaac prayed to the Lord for his wife, because she was barren. And the Lord granted his prayer, and Rebekah his wife conceived. The children struggled together within her, and she said, “If it is thus, why is this happening to me?”
So she went to inquire of the Lord. And the Lord said to her, "Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you shall be divided; the one shall be stronger than the other, the older shall serve the younger." When her days to give birth were completed, behold, there were twins in her womb. The first came out red, all his body like a hairy cloak, so they called his name Esau. Afterward, his brother came out with his hand holding Esau's heel, so his name was called Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when she bore them. When the boys grew up, Esau was a skillful hunter, a man of the field, while Jacob was a quiet man, dwelling in tents. Isaac loved Esau because he ate of his game, but Rebekah loved Jacob.
Other stories, including Hannah and Elkanah (1 Samuel 1) and Elisabeth and Zachariah (Luke 1) feature infertility until God intervenes at a specific moment. Jeremiah 1:5 confirms "Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you. Before you were born I set you apart."
Infertility for some may appear frustrating and even problematic. When a couple marry, it is often hoped and even expected by other family members that conception take place as soon as possible. Pressure applied by those who are not directly concerned or aware of prevailing factors that might affect a suitable time to form a family. It can instigate untold and unwarranted stress. However, the birth of a child is a responsibility that cannot be taken lightly. It is a commitment that both parties have to undertake with fervour and steadfastness. Timing is often of paramount importance. Income has to be of sufficient abundance to accommodate an extra mouth to feed. Freedom of time available has to be sufficient to care for and nurture a newborn and throughout the subsequent years.
To date, the oldest modern-day woman in the world to give birth is recorded as Erramatti Mangayamma. At the age of 74, she gave birth to twins in India through IVF treatment. It is reported that she and her husband, who is said to be aged between 78 and 82, had been struggling to conceive a child for more than 55 years. Stigmatization from other villagers had prompted the endeavour to bear a child.
Lailah Gifty Akita also once remarked: “Who can understand how a child is formed in a womb of a woman? So we can never know the thoughts of God nor understand our existence or our departure.” John 16:21 confirms: “When a woman is giving birth, she has sorrow because her hour has come, but when she has delivered the baby, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world.”
Amen.
