I am a bastard child, I am not the result of a plan or the answer to a prayer but rather the undesired consequence of an action that led to the creation of a new life.

I am a bastard child, the unwanted result of passion not contained, one drink too many, a failure of preventative measures or an easy to manipulate unsure participant, whatever it was, nothing stopped them.

I am a bastard child, the morning sickness I caused, a warning of what was going to happen, labour pains a sign that soon it would be all over and some normalcy would return, the stretchmarks a lifelong reminder that something happened a long time ago that changed what normal is.

I have a mother and father.

I have a mother and father, I am their son, their plans led to heartache but their prayers led to joy. I am their son, the desired consequence of an action taken to have a baby even though they could not create a new life themselves.

I have a mother and father, I am their son, I was wanted but passion could not produce a child, romance didn’t change a thing, the lack of preventative measures and all the medical manipulation did nothing, but that didn’t stop them.

I have a mother and father, my mother would have gladly gone through the morning sickness and labour pains, she would have gladly borne the stretchmarks as a lifelong reminder that something happened a long time ago. No marks, sickness or labour pain but when they brought me home normal changed.

I received a new life.

I received a new life, it is not the result of my plan but rather the answer to my prayer. It is the desired consequence of the action taken by my Heavenly Father through His son.

I received a new life, I am wanted but my passion, my love for God, my willingness to get out of the way are not enough to address the manipulation of the Evil One, but that didn’t stop my Heavenly Father.

I received a new life, my saviour took on Himself the sickening sins of the world, endured the pain of the cross and bore the marks that are the result of bringing new life to this world. Normal has changed forever.

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. Ephesians 1:3-6 (NIV)