Tag Archives: pregnancy

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Holy Pregnancy

Being pregnant during the season of Christmas gives a fresh and poignant meaning to the Christmas story. 

Luke 2: 4-7  The Kings James Version says … ” And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David.  To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.  And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.  And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.”

        And Mary, being great with child…   As far as being “great” with child, there are several meanings for the word “great”:

Great as in wonderful

Great as in large

Great as in significant.

I have felt all these meanings of “great” when I was pregnant, not necessarily at the same time or throughout my pregnancy.  We have two daughters who are currently pregnant. Each expressed to me last week that she was feeling “great” as in “large”. Each is also past the first trimester, so they are not experiencing that tired or queasy feeling any longer – they are also feeling “great” as in wonderful. One of these pregnancies was “planned” by the parents – one was not.

I say planned by the parents because I learned something from a friend years ago. The Bob Bryan family had three older children and a gap of about 17 years and then another child. People often asked if this late-in-life baby was planned. Bob would answer “Yes, this baby was planned from the foundations of the world.” What a true and meaningful response!

Each baby is planned by God as stated in Jeremiah – “I knew you when you were formed in your mother’s womb.” There are no “accidents” in God’s plan for each life.

Mary did not plan her pregnancy – in fact the timing was very problematic. It took a visit to Joseph by an angel to validate the legitimacy of Mary’s pregnancy. She was also near the end of her pregnancy when her husband said that they must travel to Bethlehem. Before prenatal visits and ultrasounds Mary did not know her “due date”. Yet, God had it all prepared according to His plan. He knew just when and where His Son would be born. He had angels ready to announce it to the shepherds and placed an extraordinarily bright star to shine over the birthplace. Even though there was no room in the Inn, God chose a place that has allowed people from every tongue and nation to identify with the lowly birth of the Lord of Lords and King of Kings – Jesus.

In Luke 1: 46 -49 –  Mary praises God for what the angel told her about her impending pregnancy.

“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;
My spirit rejoices in God my savior.
For he has looked upon his handmaid’s lowliness;
behold, from now on will all ages call me blessed.
The Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name.”

As we celebrate this Christmas season, we can also celebrate the fact that each child we have is planned by God – through birth, adoption, or foster care. As Mary did, we praise God for the great things He has done, greatest of all sending His Son, Jesus.

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Comfort in the Storm

We attended the party this weekend celebrating ONE year for our twin grandsons. It is hard to believe that a year has passed. God has been so faithful. One year ago I was at school teaching a class of high school art when I answered the phone. Our daughter had just had an ultra sound and the doctor was concerned about the size of one of the boys. It appeared that one was significantly bigger then the other and that maybe the larger one was taking nourishment from his smaller sibling. The decision was made to induce labor, even though it was five and one half weeks before their due date. My eyes filled with tears as I tried to assure our daughter that God was in control and we could trust Him. As I got off the phone, you could have heard a pin drop (very unusual in the art classroom!) All the students’  eyes were on me  – I had to say something – they could tell that the phone call had upset me.

Using a voice choked with tears, I explained that my daughter was going to deliver twin babies early and that I was concerned for her and the health of the babies. I asked them to pray for her and the babies and to continue to work since I would be preparing lessons . I told the class I would be leaving shortly to go and be there with our daughter. As I tried to focus on lesson preparations for the next few days – I sensed someone by my desk. I looked up to see two of my senior art students standing quietly, waiting to get my attention. They are twins and as I stood to talk to them, they came around and hugged me. “Remember Mrs. Woody, we were born early and only weighed 2 pounds each. See, we turned out fine!!” Tears filled my eyes as I looked at these two lovely, talented young ladies who were able to be living testimonies of hope just when I needed it. It was a comfort to see them healthy and bright at 18 years old.

2 Corinthians 1:3-7 (NIV)

3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. 5 For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ. 6 If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. 7 And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.

Hearing those encouraging words from my students and knowing dear friends and family were praying was such a comfort. As a mother and grandmother, I was so very concerned. Yet for our daughter and son-in-law, it was a whirlwind of decision and activity. They demonstrated trust in God and loving support of each other. The twins were safely delivered and after short stays in the hospital NICU, they were able to come home. The above verses share one purpose for the things we suffer – so that we can comfort others. In this fallen world, no one escapes suffering.

Our daughter and son-in-law have had a very busy, blessed year. In the years to come, they will be able to comfort others facing early and emergency births.

God does not waste the opportunties He gives us to learn to trust Him. His desire is that we share the hope, comfort and peace that can only come from God. I am so thankful for the many who have shared Godly comfort with me over the years.

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An Act of Worship

As pregnant women, we get a true picture of what it means for our bodies to not be our own. We feel that little life (or lives) moving inside and we realize it is no longer about us.

We may feel sick from certain smells that never bothered us before pregnancy, we also may crave certain foods for no apparent reason. We are no longer in charge and often don’t even understand the changes taking place in our own bodies. This is just the beginning.

Romans 12:1 says “Therefore I urge you brothers, in view of God’s mercy to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God – this is your spiritual act of worship.”

As mothers of young children your body is a living sacrifice.

You are no longer your own. You get up in the morning, change diapers, breastfeed, have meals, tend to chores (when able) and meet others’ needs all day long according to their schedule, not your own.

A loving mother sacrifices her own wants and needs for her family. I can remember thinking when our four children were small that I would never feel rested again. I couldn’t imagine getting enough rest.

Yet, God convicted me with the truth of the above scripture one day at our home group. The home group leader, Phil, asked us to think about what in our lives were hindrances to worship. The immediate response that came to my mind was “my children”!

Then I felt shame.

These were gifts from God!  Why did I see them as a hindrance? Because I did not see my service to them as significant in God’s eyes. I thought a “ministry” was more important. Yet, the Lord showed me those children were my ministry at that time. NOTHING was more important. Offering my body as a living sacrifice WAS an act of worship – one very pleasing to our Lord.

As we have contemplated this Easter weekend the sacrifice that Jesus made on the cross, let us embrace the sacrifices we make as mothers moment by moment, day by day.

Jesus is our example – He laid down His life. As His follower, I must do likewise and recognize it as an act of worship.