Oh My Goodness!! A LOT has been happening lately!

No one really tells you that when God accelerates you, it’s not ONLY the blessing, which is produced by the “birthing process” [spiritual birthing], that’s accelerated. I’m discovering that He accelerates the birth pains that usually accompany the actual birth, as well.

What does this look like? Well, imagine multiple little incidents that painfully rock you to your core, simultaneously provoking you to prayer and a type of “reckless abandonment” worship. Let’s call these little incidents… “HOLY CONTRACTIONS”.

…Imagine more specifically, increased tension in your conversations with your spouse that wasn’t present a few months ago.

…Imagine your patience level as a mom still waning down to zero after experiencing what most folks consider a pleasant day.

…Imagine your toddler being hospitalized for severe dehydration in the days leading to a women’s conference that includes your involvement.

…Imagine feeling so “over it” that you seriously consider giving up EVERY. SINGLE. DAY.

…Imagine often feeling an inner frustration that comes from knowing the greatness on the inside of you, but you struggle to tap into that greatness in the way you’d like to.

These are only a few of the birth pains “holy contractions” that I’ve endured in the past few weeks.

Giving birth can be ugly, bloody, painful, and involves FULL EXPOSURE and vulnerability to strangers. In fact, it is said that a woman delivering a child is closest to death than any other point in her life. Yet, there’s nothing she can do about it, except to lie there and have her baby.

On the other hand, giving birth is nothing short of a miracle! It is one of the most beautiful events to be witnessed on earth. Besides new life entering the world, why would anyone consider its beauty when there’s so much pain and messiness surrounding it? Perhaps, the beauty is in the process of how something so gore and stomach turning, can also make a grown man cry tears of joy, and have folks going, “goo goo, gah gah.”

I have to ask, “Could it be that God was more interested in showcasing the beauty of His strength through my weakness as I watched my daughter, seemingly incoherent, lie there in a hospital bed, than He was for us having the perfect weekend sans sickness?”

I’m so thankful that God sent someone to remind me that what I’ve been experiencing is the birthing process. If you’re like me, you tend to become introspective, constantly looking at yourself as the problem when trials come. I mean, sometimes I am the problem, but oftentimes I’m not. LOL! It’s like a woman blaming herself for her contractions; it’s absurd.

Whenever the enemy convinces us to look inwardly with accusations, it distracts our focus from God, and it distorts our view of the real fight…if there’s even a fight at all.

Now that I see things for what they are, I can stop trying to fix the “problems”, fearing that they’ll overtake me. Instead, I can choose to be seated with Christ in heavenly places, and allow my weaknesses to be exposed as I “push” and “deliver” while the world watches. I can view my daughter’s brief, but serious sickness, and the increased spats with my husband as opportunities to pass tests and grow in faith during this acceleration period for me and my family.

I’m [we’re] still in the midst of this bloody, messy delivery, but I know there’s a gorgeous “baby” on the other side and it’ll be nothing short of a miracle to all who’ll witness.

(Stay tuned for more in ‘The Beauty of Birthing, Pt. 2)