I Like It, I Love It, I Want Some More of It

Someone asked me the question the other day, "So, are you one of those people who love being pregnant?"


I quickly gave my answer, "Oh, yes. Aside from the nausea, I love it!"


As I walked away, I began to think about that question a little more.


Yes, I LOVE BEING PREGNANT.


You might ask, "Why? You get all fat. You get stretch marks and swell up. After you give birth, your body doesn't return back to normal."


All of that is true, but the Bible says in Psalm 127:3, "Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, The fruit of the womb is a reward." And really, that is all that matters.


Conception, pregnancy, and birth are all miracles. Think about each detail that must occur at precisely the right moment for each to happen, what each part of the process entails. Only God can perform those miracles.


I can't explain why some people can never have children, why some can have only 1, or why some can have 18. I don't know why some people get pregnant the first try and others take years. I don't know why children are born to unwed teenage mothers or to women who are already grandmothers. I don't know why some children are born healthy while others have birth defects. I don't understand why some women miscarry and why some have drama free pregnancies. Those things are not for us to question. God has a plan in every circumstance. We shouldn't question Him, but trust Him.


I have a student this year that is legally blind because her mom contracted toxoplasmosis during pregnancy after picking up a stray cat in the yard. During parent teacher conferences recently, the mom told me what her daughter said about her blindness, "Mom, I know God can heal me and make me see. But its ok that He doesn't, because He has a plan for me."


WOW!


As an adult, sometimes it is hard to have that much trust and faith in the Lord. Oh, the faith of a child.


Listen to what God's Word says about the faith of a child:

He called a little child and had him stand among them. And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.


Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me. But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea." Matthew 18:2-6


Not only are we blessed with children and teach them, but we should learn from them as well. So many times, as a mom and teacher, I take a step back and say, "Whoa, that kid's got it. Why am I missing it?"


So, yes, I am one of those women who love being pregnant. I love the anxiousness and nervousness that goes along with buying a pregnancy test and waiting for the result. I love hearing a baby's heartbeat at the doctor's office. I love seeing a baby on an monitor during an ultrasound. I love watching my body change because of a growing, thriving baby. I love feeling the kicks, jabs, and hiccups from a baby inside of me. I love watching a child as they experience this miracle with me. I love holding a baby for the first time after birth. I love the stages a child goes through as he grows and develops, discovering his world. I love that God chose to bless the world with children.


I thank God each day for my own children, for the joy and wonder they bring into my life. I pray that I can be the mom that they need me to be. I pray for patience and wisdom to deal with the difficult issues that arise with being a mom. I pray that my children know that I love them even if I am the "meanest mom in the world" because I want them to be respectful, well mannered children who try their best and don't give up (Yes, that homework will be completed before you play and No I will not "just tell" you the answers).



Whatever your circumstances are in your journey of being a mom, I pray that you will find acceptance of where you are and not question why you are there. I pray that you would trust God and His plan for your life and that of your children. I pray that you can go boldly before Our Father and lay down your mommy burdens and desires.



Hug your children and the children of others. Love them. Comfort them. Show them the love of God.