Psalm 89

Psalm 89 is Ethan's psalm. Actually, it is the psalm of Ethan the Exrahite and it is to give instruction. The Biblical Ethan, was a musician.

I'm possessive. This is a psalm I became acutely aware of when my Ethan was first born and I read it this morning on my reading through the book of Psalms. It brought back memories and assurances of God's faithfulness.

Our family had moved to a very rural town in western Pennslvania in 1977. Rob was the only surgeon at the hospital where they had limited facilities. I had sort of a "Christy" outlook moving to the coal mining town. I envisioned myself going to the library reading to swarms of dirty, black footed children who didn't have running water in their homes and had only recently had electricity installed. I had read Christy recently and had seen myself doing the same things in my new home town.

It wasn't exactly as I had pictured. The Lord had a different plan. We immediately became involved in local church and as it was approaching summer, when we moved, the church was getting involved with their annual plans for Vacation Bible School. I immediately volunteered to head the program up. Why I don't know. My expertise is nursing but I guess I had some time and wanted to get involved with local church.

We prayed. And we prayed. And God showed up. After all the years of doing VBS they normally had about 20 kids that would come. Well, that year we had over 200 kids come. I didn't even know that there were that many children in the whole community. Anyway, Rob and I unexpectedly got involved in children's ministry which would expand and last the whole ten years we were in the area. Ninety children came to know the Lord that first summer. The next summer I started a program for the mom's while their kids were in VBS. It was fun.

My pregnancy for Ethan was without any issues and the labor and delivery was relatively easy and quick. However, he was born with a collapsed right lung which was rapidly expanding and compressing his heart. He didn't cry or move and when it was discovered what the problem was the obstetrician told Rob, "you have to do something or this child will die."

No pediatrician, no other surgeon, no equipment necessary to install a pediatric chest tube, he had to act. Thank goodness he is creative and can think outside the box and God is his Lord.

He called for a few things and after being plagued with thoughts that he would kill the child before he could save him, he inserted something that passed for a chest tube and got the lung inflated. The NICU, at a hospital an hour away, was called and sent a team over to get him. There he was, tubes coming from everywhere, IV's, chest tube, oxygen. And he was quiet. Saving his strength for breathing. Even Elizabeth took pity on him when she saw him. She desperately wanted a sister.

The nurses at the NICU kept asking us what we were going to name him. They wanted a name. They said it was important. We didn't know. We wanted a name that, when he was called, would reflect a characteristic that would be a Godly characteristic and some quality that he needed right then. That's when we came across the name Ethan. It means strong. And he was anything but that then. He couldn't even cry.

After we chose the name Ethan, Rob's dad, the Bible scholar that he was, told us about this Psalm. The Psalm of Ethan. It speaks about mercies and faithfulness and covenant. It speaks about that God rules the raging of the sea....which I have taken to mean the issues of our lives which sometimes seem to be out of control. "When they arise, you still them" It speaks about justice and judgment being the habitation of his throne and mercy and truth going before his face. Don't you just love the imagery that is evoked with these words. It's beautiful. The psalm speaks about his people walking in the light of his countenance. I always thought I like light, mirrors, candles because of my nordic heritage. Perhaps that is part of i,t but light is such a powerful influence in the Bible. "Your word is a light..... a lamp". And the Psalm reveals Jesus and God's plan for him and us.

It's a magnificient psalm and I'm glad it was part of my devotions today. A reminder of God's goodness and His faithfulness and His commitment to me.

And Ethan is strong and big and not quiet anymore. When he was little, I think around 3 or 4, my parents took care of him for a week or so and when they were driving him back to us he sat in his car seat and talked constantly for about 4 hours straight. My father, not a loquacious man but very tolerant, finally turned to him and asked very potitely if he would stop talking for a bit. He is the most people person that I know. And that's a good thing.