labor three {the Lord willing}

Labor one and labor two. Part of my life story. Experiences that helped shape who I am. If you read them both, you may have noticed something was missing from both.

They were both painful. Both worth it.

But did you notice Who was missing?

He was. The very One who watched as I tried (pretty miserably) to accomplish the job on my own. In my own strength. Which was feeble. And lacking.

I got skunked out of the epidurals. The pain meds I took didn't work for me the way they were intended to work. For a reason. They weren't supposed to. For me.

Because, He was the only thing I needed. "I can do everything through Him who gives me strength." (Philippians 4:13 NIV) That is a promise being pressed into my heart. I'm going to go into this labor prayerfully.

I'm going to have a team of prayer warriors interceding on my behalf. This one will be different. This one is for HIS glory. This one will not be done through my own strength. You know, the one that isn't strong enough? I'm going to be seeking my Savior's face when the contractions become too painful to handle. I will be meditating on His words....His promises...

Someone was telling me about a gal that focused on the different names of Christ throughout her contractions. It was then that it struck me. Wow. Of course! What am I doing? Why didn't I see that?

It's not like I didn't know the Lord during my last labors. I knew Him. But not completely. These last few years have been different. The Lord used a move, and a new baby, the subsequent ppd, and my aloneness to reveal my NEED for Him. He stripped away everything else. It wasn't until I was "alone" that I realized it all. God doesn't want to be an every once in a while kind of acquaintance. He's not pushy. He's not vindictive. He's there. Always there. Waiting. It was for me to make the move. To see. He was there. As always.

So, as I walk into this next labor, I'm walking with Him.