An Emerald Covenant

I mentioned in my last post that I discovered I was pregnant on Palm Sunday last year. I took the home pregnancy test early in the morning and didn't wake my husband up to give him the news. He didn't even know I was taking the test, and I figured it wasn't news that he would want to wake up to. Plus, I needed to digest this info myself.

For reasons I can't remember now, I went to church alone that morning. I sat in the pew with my right arm resting across the back of the pew. As I listened to the sermon, out of the corner of my eye I caught a glimpse of the ring I wear on my right hand. The ring has a heart shaped emerald on it.

At that moment, my heart sank a bit as I wondered if I'd be adding another heart shaped gem to my ring. My emerald ring represents the baby I miscarried in 2008. The baby was due in May and emerald is the birthstone for that month. I had calculated that this new baby would be due in December. I sat wondering what December's birthstone is.

In the book of Revelation, the apostle John describes a throne set in Heaven:
"At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it. And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian. A rainbow, resembling an emerald, encircled the throne." (Revelation 4:2-3 NIV ) From what I understand, the rainbow which God sent after the flood is a covenant, or a promise, that He will never destroy the world by flood again. (Read Genesis 9:9-17)

I find it interesting (and comforting) that John saw a rainbow around God's throne and described its appearance "like an emerald". My emerald ring...a covenant from God that he wouldn't take this baby too? That I actually would have another child here on this earth? After all, when my oldest son was about 5 years old, he had said that I would have another baby because "Jesus told me so!" (My own brother had told my mom the same thing, and I was born a year after he died.)

If you have read my last post, obviously I have since given birth to another beautiful son. I thank God everyday for this newest little gift...for the fulfillment of his covenant with me.