Somewhere in every genealogy is an unexpected birth, a story in our lineage of the baby who was not supposed to be. In many cases that baby may even be us. The scenarios of unexpected conceptions are many. Among them are: supposed infertility, way too fertile, illicit liaisons, miscalculations, chance encounters, unleashed passion, desperate measures, violence, careless contraception, or past the prime years. Whatever the story is and whoever the baby was, the reality is that if they weren't then you aren't. Most of us don't have to look very far to find a "miracle baby" in our lives that allows our life.
In the Bible all of the major birth stories of iconic figures are stories of barrenness, infertility, obstacles, and impediment to conception and birth. In many cases the these stories are actually the same story, retold with new characters and circumstances. The Christmas story is one of these.
The story of Mary, Joseph, and the birth of Jesus is an echo of Abraham, Sarah, and Issac; the Hebrew midwives and Moses; Boaz, Ruth, and Obed; Elkanah, Hannah, and Samuel; David, Bathsheba, and Solomon; Zechariah, Elizabeth, and John. Miracle babies galore!
All of these stories of unexpected, unplanned births remind us that life itself is often unexpected. Even lives that are planned and come off without a hitch are possible because somewhere, sometime, someone in our past was born unexpectedly. In a fanciful way, we are all Miracle Babies!
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