Dedication

Today we listened to a story which was both extraordinary and heart-warming. Jake and Adele had been married for a few years when they were told there was no way either of them could have children. Jake talked about the bad time that followed and how they got through it. Eventually they were tested again, and the surprised medics asked whether Jake had made any lifestyle changes. But they still thought Adele could not carry a baby to term and, indeed, two miscarriages followed. A third pregnancy took Adele to A&E on more than one occasion but, in the end, Phoebe was born. She herself had medical issues – a heart problem appears to have been healed (again, to the surprise of the medics), but she has a swallowing difficulty and lives, for the moment, with a tube in place through her nose.

It was at Wildwood church in Stafford that we met this family this morning. It was a special dedication service at which Jake and Adele were expressing their thanks for what they regard as their miracle baby, and committing themselves to the task of parenting, while the church also committed itself to carrying on supporting them all as Phoebe grows up. We’ve enjoyed meeting with this group of Christians for worship when we’ve been in the marina, but we hadn’t expected this particular event today. It reminded us of the traumas around the premature birth of our own miracle grandson Sam 10 years ago, and the joy of watching him grow through them over the years.

And, by coincidence, we’re off to Norway tomorrow for a few days and will see Sam, Elissa and Theo, not to mention their parents. More about that as the week progresses.