Could. Not. Deal.
I believe this.
What I don't believe though, is THIS:
As a birth worker, I hear men say all the time that they could never give birth (if given the proper parts of course!), that they could not endure the labor and birth journey.
I used to believe this was true and let me tell you, with every womanly part of me, I still desperately want to believe that they (men, that is) would never have the strength and that women are the superior gender! THERE.
But I just can't.
I hope I can explain why. Just after I had given birth to our first babe, I was traumatized! Totally, in shock, did not know WHAT just happened, and never ever ever wanted to go through it again. There was an inkling of pride and accomplishment, but mostly just trauma. Yeah.
I wanted to understand. I wanted to know WHY it had to be so intense. WHY God couldn't have just rescued me out of my "misery." WHY did the contractions had to get THAT intense before my baby could be born?
I am so humbled by what He showed me. Here it is. Ready?
Giving birth is a BIG deal. Bringing new life into the world is a BIG deal.
I know what you are thinking. You are thinking that you already knew that. But really? Think about it.
Did you?
It happens every single day. Multiple times a day. Millions of babies are born every. single. day. If I told you that my aunt's sister-in-law's cousin's daughter's baby was born today, would you even think twice about it? You wouldn't.
But when a woman is in labor, she is bringing ANOTHER HUMAN BEING INTO THE WORLD. My aunt's sister-in-law's cousin's daugther's baby is another person on this planet who will live and breathe and CHANGE the lives around him for better or for worse.
This person's life will make a difference.
God showed me that bringing forth new life is pricey. It's not easy, it's really damn hard. But it's worth it. It's worth it because the pain is for a purpose. It's for a baby. It's for an incredible love to be born between three people that will be unlike the love they have ever experienced. It is for the world to be changed.
Just like Jesus.
I often ask... How Jesus? Why Jesus, did you endure the cross? And now I have my answer.
NEW LIFE.
The pain was bearable because it was for a purpose: ME. YOU. HIM. HER.
We are worth it.
Just this past week, I had the incredible honor of supporting a friend through labor and birth. While debriefing she was speechless; searching for the words to describe her (beautiful) experience. She mentioned war. She mentioned being caught up in a war with no one to rescue her. I said to her, "But wait, you got a baby though." She thought again, "well, I guess then, it was like Jesus and the cross."
YES.
Today, I sat in church, pondering what God had shown me three years ago and what he showed my friend this past week. Then He hit me with it. The kicker. He said,
"You did it even before you experienced your daughter's love for you. Before you even knew her, you made the choice to give her life."
He did it before we knew Him. Before He could feel the satisfaction of our love. He did it knowing that we may never choose him.
That's pain with a purpose. That's LOVE.
And that's also why I have to believe that men, if physically capable, could bear the pain of giving birth. That every human being is capable of this kind of LOVE. It's what we were created for.
When I look at my children, I am humbled and honored to be a woman. To be able to experience a part of Jesus that is reserved just for women.
A part of Him that, for now, men can not fully understand.
