"Behold your little ones, and see within them the wonders of God, from whose presence they have recently come." - Gordon Hinkley
I have had the intense life-experience of birthing and raising two of God's miracles. From the very moment I knew they were growing in my womb; I was IN LOVE. Understanding that I was now a mother, with purpose wrapped in God's wonder, gave me a sense of joy I could never put to paper, could never explain in a million books. There truly are things that our minds and hearts are too finite to hold and too massive to name.
From the sixth month-on during both of my pregnancies the aching began. I am not talking about the back aches, the belly aches from all of the intense kicking and indigestion, and the ache of wanting to sleep on my back so bad I could cry.
No, I mean the deep, primal ache to see and kiss their faces. To smell their skin and breath. To inhale their essence into my own - forever and eternally entangled - spirit and soul. I realized instantly that I was now infused with God's very own heartbeat: I finally understood how much He loves us. How much He loves each and every one of us. How He aches for us to grasp how deep and wide this love really is...
We are made to love Him and are threaded together with intentional intimacy by a God who knows us and has mapped out our labyrinth of cells, tissue, bone, marrow, lives and days:
"For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them." (Psalm 139:13-16 ESV)
We certainly are not here by accident. Each one is a part of His perfect plan and holds His eternal love. For any of us who have had children, I know you get it. This is a love unshakable.
For those of you who long for a child of their own, my fervent heart-prayer is for an answering of this desire. And, for those of you who lost children in or out of the womb - my heart cries big, salty tears. We are sisters: When one of us hurts, we all hurt. When we have reason for happiness, we should all share it like a wonderful meal.
That is what we should do: Celebrate the joys of this journey together when the road is smooth and easy, moving at a quick clip and also take the time to sit side-by-side in the hard, creaking rocking chairs on sorrow's porch when everything comes to a screeching halt; breathing in the air with one another - whether bitter or sweet, labored or light. We are meant to walk and be still together.
Whatever your own motherhood path consists of this much I know: We are all here to mother the world's children. We are all called to our higher purpose of helping them live and breathe and to find joy and know God. Every soul matters to Him. Every breath we take is a pre-planned offering from our Creator.
I read that the baby's breath flower (those little white and delicate stems) symbolizes everlasting love and undying devotion - a perfect definition. Each baby and soul have God's everlasting devotion. Each child is precious and priceless.
Can we look at children this way? Can we as the mamas in the world help other mamas by offering the grace we have been given? Will we be the willing ones? I pray so. The gift of being a mother looks different for us all, but make no mistake, as women, God has given us the charge. We don't all birth babies from our wombs, but we can birth them from our hearts, aligning with the rhythm of the Divine.
When Christ entered the world as a newborn baby, His very breath brought Heaven's own atmosphere to the world's blackened lungs, cleansing and renewing them in His grace and love. Breathe in His essence and breathe it out to those around you - to the unborn, the young, and the young at heart. It is what truly rocks the cradle and moves the world into the very place we were created to be: Into the presence of God.
Note: Please help us open the first Maternity Home for Women and Babies in Clackamas County! Hope's Garden - A Home for Life...together we can help the seeds in God's garden of grace grow friends!
Here is the link to get your tickets and/or donate: Be a Hope's Garden Hero! (givebutter.com)
Thank you for being mamas and papas to the hurting! Together we will bring HOPE!