Thinking About What is True

First, how cute is this picture?  This is during the chunkiest phase of Dexter's life...still putting on the baby weight, but not crawling and getting his boy muscle yet.

I'm starting off this post (that will be a tad more serious) to remind myself more than anything, that things will go back to almost normal after birth.  My project this week, besides the pregnancy-mania induced house projects, has been to think about whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—anything excellent or praiseworthy (Phil 4:8).

This was the challenge we were given in my young families class Sunday.  The point was made that we have emotions, and they can be good and valid, but we also have a mind that can take every thought captive (2 Cor 10:5).  It was recommended to stop, recognize the emotion, and let it spur you to think honestly about what you feel.  So, I am already a big fan of not stuffing your emotions down...in fact, I tend to be a little too open with how I feel at times (why does my face betray every thought I have!?!).  And these emotions were starting to get a little ground in my thought life as it pertains to birth.

With Dexter I spent a lot more time preparing for labor, and, to be honest, had a healthy dose of naive optimism.  Now, I am still optimistic and remember that it really wasn't that bad, but I still KNOW what it will generally be like.

Here are the questions I finally realized I needed to affirm in my mind:  Do I believe birth is a natural process that is no surprise or medical emergency?  Yes.  Do I believe that a God who could make a human being and soul, complete with fingerprints, a brain, and every other little tiny part of his body, could also provide a way in how He made ME to then let the baby out into this world?  Yes.

So here is where I came to last night as I thought through it.  Can I sit around today and worry that tomorrow I won't be able to breathe?  Or that my heart will stop beating?  Or that all of a sudden my muscles won't work?  Yes, I could...and be a little like Bob from What About Bob (!!).  And yes, for some people these things may happen and they will need medical intervention.  But, for the vast majority of us, our lungs will keep taking in breaths, our heart will keep beating (whether we tell it to or not), and we will have some control over our muscles.  We will do this because it is a natural part of life and we were designed to, just like birth is a natural part of life and I was designed to give birth.

It might be tomorrow, or it might be in a few weeks, but soon this baby will be coming.  Today I am choosing to think about what is right, true, and not some fairy tale I have created.  Why?  Because I want to take a vacation from my problems.  ; )