Genieve the Midwife Angel

“Genieve, you must go down to earth to help the young woman, Mary. She needs you right now.”

“Yes sir, I’ll get my things and be on my way!”

The midwife angel, Genieve, landed in Bethlehem with a plop! “My goodness,” she said to herself with a merry chuckle as she looked down at the earthly body that she had just received, “What a tubby little body God gave me this time!”

A young boy tripped and stumbled to the ground right in front of her. She bent down to see if he had hurt himself. “Are you all right?” she asked.

“I just scratched my knee,” he answered regretfully while examining the bloody abrasion.

“Let me just open my bag and I’ll clean it and wrap a bandage around it.”

“Are you a physician?” he asked incredulously.

“No, child, I am a midwife. I help women have their babies!”

“I am just now looking for a midwife! There is a woman at my father’s inn who is with child and Father sent me to find a midwife to help her! Please, come with me! I heard her man say that it is her time right now!”

The boy quickly hoisted her bag over his back and took her hand to lead her to the inn. When they arrived, he told her, “She’s not exactly at the inn. That was already full when they got here. All we had was the stable to offer them, but they were glad to be able to stay there because there isn’t an empty room anywhere in town!”

The stable looked more like a cave than a barn. How strange that God would want this woman, Mary, to get Genieve’s special attention and then allow her to bring forth her child in a cave! After pondering that, the little angel shrugged her shoulders and sighed. “God does some strange things sometimes, but he is God.”

Inside she saw, in the corner, a thick bed of straw with a clean, woven, wool blanket on top. The woman, Mary, was lying on the blanket and a young man was holding her hand. They both looked stressed.

“Sir, this is a midwife. My father sent me to find her to help you and your woman.”

Relief immediately swept across the man’s face. “Thank you and please go and thank your father for me! I am grateful!”

The tubby little angel spoke up, “I am Genieve. I have helped many babies find their way to this earth and if you will have me, I shall help this little one too.”

“Yes, we will be most grateful. I am Joseph and this is Mary. Tell us what to do.”

“Right now, I want you to do exactly what you are doing! Hold Mary’s hand. While you do that, I will look at her and then I will tell you what you need to do after that.”

As the minutes passed it was obvious that the little baby would be making his way into the world very soon. The angel turned to Joseph and said, “Mary should be up walking for a little while. It will make the baby come faster and she will be more comfortable.”

While they walked among the quiet animals in the stable, Genieve put her own clean blanket down on the makeshift straw bed and folded up the nice blanket belonging to the young couple. Next, she filled a bowl full of water, all the while wishing it could somehow be warmed. They certainly couldn’t start a fire in a stable to warm it!

A cow mooed. Several sheep made their baaaaaa sound. Joseph and Mary quietly talked to the animals. Their contented sounds were restful, but now Mary’s contractions were almost constant. She would be delivering soon. 

As darkness approached, lanterns were lit. Soft swaddling wraps were warmed next to Mary for the child. Genieve coached Joseph to prop Mary into a semi-sitting position on the straw bed. She encouraged them by the news that she could see the baby’s tiny head moving to the outside world. Then finally she said, “Here comes our little baby.”

Suddenly the baby’s head was outside. He stretched and extended his head up and then his whole body came into view. He didn’t like it one bit. The baby cried angrily and as he cried the crying filled his lungs with air.

“You have a perfect baby boy!” Genieve cried as she wrapped him in the soft little blankets and then lay him on his mother’s abdomen, the cord still attached to Mary. They all admired the little child as he nestled against his mother.

Genieve tied the cord with a piece of woolen string and cut it with a sharp knife that she carried in her bag. Soon the placenta was delivered, and the birthing was finished.

They named the baby Jesus.

He was hungry, gnawing on his fists, moving about in search of food.

“It is time for baby’s first feeding,” Genieve observed. “Many folks think feeding a baby comes naturally, but most mothers and babies need a little help learning how to give the first few feedings. Most often the new mother’s own mother teaches her about such things, but since you don’t have your mother here to help you, I will show you.”

Baby Jesus was a quick learner, and he soon was nursing heartily.

There were many chores for Genieve to perform during the next few days. Babies are very messy! She washed tiny diapers, linens, and Mary’s gowns with great care. Joseph brought food which she helped him prepare. She marveled over what a loving husband the young woman had.

News of the birth of the baby spread quickly and soon visitors came to see him and to bring gifts. They talked at length about a bright star that had seemed to guide them to the birthplace. Genieve knew this was a very special baby and a special set of parents or God wouldn’t have sent her to help with the birth, but she soon realized that this was more than just special, this was an event that might change the world!

Folks came from all walks of life – from shepherd boys to men dressed like royalty bringing expensive gifts! Sometimes she had to insist that everybody step outside and give the new mother and the child some time to rest! Young Mary needed to recuperate!

Finally, the day came when Joseph and Mary had to leave with the baby. The three of them had become friends. Goodbye was a tearful time. As she watched them leave, Genieve heard a voice from above say, “Well done, Genieve. That child will change the world! He is my son, the son of God!”

Genieve felt her body become lighter and lighter and suddenly she was back at her heavenly home, waiting for her next assignment.