Layliah Olive born 10-14-16 at 8 lbs
Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.- Jesus
I am sitting here in bed with my 5 day old daughter sleeping beside me. She is amazing. She is so fresh and soft. So new. I think I finally have absorbed the reality that she is mine. I haven’t quite absorbed how stunning she is.
Every time these little bundles of joy catapult me into a state of serious self reflection.
So here I am, reflecting. I am home from the hospital. My family is away. It is quiet. And God is speaking.
Giving birth is joyful.
A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world. John 16:21
I had my first scheduled c-section this time. Yes, I got to avoid labor pains, but there are side effects of cutting open your skin and a major organ to pull a person out. The thing is, this little person eclipses them all. It’s not even a toss up. Every bit of discomfort, every IV needle, every fear, every pain. Eclipsed.
Along with a baby, I birthed some serious joy.
I find myself lost in her gaze and humbled that God picked me to be her mom.
She called me to the altar self-sacrifice.
Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. John 15:13
Self-sacrifice is the whole point of Christianity. Babies are gifted with an ability to draw out the best and worst of it. God is using Layliah to call out my sacrificial spirit. In just 5 days I have been called to give up privacy, comfort, sleep, food and more sleep. I came home with a stretched out stomach, sore nipples, puffy feet and some crazy battery powered dressing over my incision that freaks my kids out. (Google pico dressing if you are curious.)
God asked me to be this little girls mother. He asked me to lay down my life for her. It has been an honor to say yes.
There’s more.
Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. John 3:6
Conceiving, growing and birthing this child is the easy part. Anyone can give birth. Dogs do it. Its just flesh.
As her mom I gave her my womb. I gave her life, nourishment and care. But now my job gets bigger. Now I lead her to the Spirit. Now I plant the seed of the gospel in her heart. Now I feed her the bread of life and let her drink from the everlasting water. Now I bring her to Jesus.
