Jesher Gabriel London Polite was born on March 8, 2018 at 2:10pm CST.   We are so happy that he is here; however, he came three months early and is experiencing multiple complications. 

We have been waiting on Jesher!  But we won’t lie, we dreamed of a completely different arrival.  Lhorraine had traveled to Nashville, TN to be with friends and family and I had  traveled to Sydney, Australia to enjoy my final globe-trot before my wife’s third trimester began.  Although we were over 10,000 miles apart, we still enjoyed frequent conversations and video chats.  And can you guess which topic dominated our dialogue?  Yep, that’s correct…Jesher Gabriel was the hot topic of every interaction.  Our love and enthusiasm for him had already bubbled up into our souls.  Jesher would be here in June, and we could barely wait for him to transform our household into a group of three.

On Thursday evening, I received a few texts concerning the need to call Nashville as soon as possible.  I honestly thought Lhorraine’s friends were planning a surprise party for her and needed some insider information on her likes, dislikes, and preferences.  It never entered into my mind that she would be heading into labor–one day before her 27th week began.

Just a few hours later, Jesher Gabriel was born.  The young champion was asked to fight as soon as he left the comforts of his mom’s tummy.    He was in dire need of assistance, but the hospital where he was delivered did not have the capabilities on hand to support his journey.  Immediately, Jesher was rushed to a NICU facility about 20 minutes away where he was incubated for observation. 

Jesher Gabriel means, “Upright Warrior of God.”  The name is derived from a Hebrew man who was a member of the Tribe of Judah and an ancestor of Jesus Christ.  My wife and I believe Jesher was given to Earth to be a champion for the overlooked, an advocate for the weak, and a moral leader for the times.  He was sent to be a fighter, a maker of peace, and a profound influence on the lives of those he encounters.  He was born to be an upright warrior of Yahweh.  

Yes, it is highly unexpected and excruciatingly heart-breaking, but our son is facing the first major fight of his life.  In every sense of the phrase, he is fighting for each moment, each breath, each minute, and each hour.  He is fighting for inches, not miles, and he needs your help.  He needs your fervent prayers.

Lhorraine and I are firm believers in the God referenced in Genesis 16:13: “Thereafter, Hagar used another name to refer to the LORD, who had spoken to her. She said, ‘You are the God who sees me.’ ”  We know that Yahweh sees us and that Yahweh sees Jesher.  And we still believe that our son has been chosen by the Creator of All Things to be an “upright,” brave “warrior” for the kingdom of heaven.  Although we are facing an arduous, uphill battle, we believe that our son will win his first fight and be a living example of James 5:16, “The effectual fervent prayer of righteous people availeth much.”

Please join us in praying that no Deficit, no Disease, and no Disorder would encumber or inhibit Jesher’s quality of life.

“For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him.” 2 Chronicles 16:9