Tuesday, September 27, 2011

He is coming...

I am nervously walking around waiting to go into labor. I don't love this part. Last Friday, I was at 2 cm and 70 percent effaced. The doctor said I could go into labor at any time or it could still be weeks.
God is teaching me patience. I have prayed for Him to lead me as I make decisions regarding labor. There is a huge temptation to go ahead and induce and get an epidural but at this point I am going to try another natural delivery. That makes me want to cry remembering the pain of my last natural delivery but it is the only thing I have peace about. Not sure how women say labor isn't painful when God cursed it with pain because of Eve's sin. Take all the labor classes you want but IT HURTS.
I think some people start smoking Bradley Method CRACK if they think natural delivery isn't painful. :)
"To the woman he said, "I will greatly increase your pains in childbearing; with pain you will give birth to children."
Genesis 3

"Terror will seize them, pain and anguish will grip them; they will writhe like a woman in labor." Is 13:8
But, God is able to help me if I do this again. We will see if I change my mind after my first hard contraction.
I am hardly sleeping because I have contractions during the night, crazy dreams, and have to go to the bathroom. I am asking the Lord to keep me in perfect peace. I feel the nearness of Jesus. He is the giver of life, the sustainer of life, and the lover of life. His presence is strong and I know He loves this child. I am so grateful that God healed me from a chronic illness that almost hijacked every dream I have ever had. What a joy it is to be a wife and a mother.
I woke up yesterday to the sound of the children's laughter. I was overwhelmed by God's goodness to me and the love that He has poured into our home.
I will let you know if anything happens!
Exciting times! This part always reminds me of the coming of Christ and how Scripture compares it to a woman in labor! Just as certain as I am about my 4th son coming, I know that my Redeemer is also coming. The contractions are getting closer. Will it be today, Lord?
"No one knows about that day or hour" Matt 24:36
"You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times." Matt 16:3 
"Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, and famines. These are the beginning of birth pains"  Mark 13:8
"We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time." Romans 8:22
"And now, dear children, continue in him, so that when he appears we may be confident and unashamed before him at his coming." 1 John 2:28
"For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first." 1 Thess 4
"And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am." John 14:3
 "This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven." Acts 1:11
Are you ready?
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(Warning! This is kind of lame...
I am reminded about the longing we should have to be with Christ by one of my children losing his favorite stuffed animal that has been a loyal friend to him for YEARS. He left it in a restaurant 2 nights ago and I have called and called and they can't find it. He sobbed under his covers last night, heartbroken about losing his "friend". It is a tiny koala that he would put into all of his airplanes, trucks, etc. It was a surprising friendship as this child isn't really the child I would have thought would have such devotion to a tiny koala that came from McDonalds. He is praying we will find him. We are getting ready to drive all the way across town to Rib and Loin to see if somehow the Lord will help us find it. But, I see his heartbreak and it reminds me of how we should be broken about being separated from Christ. Our Friend Who is closer than a brother.. or a tiny koala.
This place is not our home and right now we are separated from our closest friend. I want to be looking for Him. I want Him to COME BACK. :)

"He who testifies to these things says,
"Surely I am coming quickly."
Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!"
Rev 22:20

4 comments:

Love Being A Nonny said...

I AM ready and I am praying for you as you face a scary but BLESSED time! Can't wait to hear.

jen said...

Stephanie Praying for you. I too have three boy and then a daughter. Just no more on the horizon yet! :-) My deliveries were neither short nor easy, but my first description of them would not be pain. I just want to toss a few thoughts in your direction and see if they were a help to you as they were to me: The thought of it being like pulling a turtleneck sweater over a childs head & each contraction like another tug was probably the biggest thing that helped me to be restful during labor. It's definitely not a no pain situation,but doesn't have to be the main focus of your labor. Please remember that fear of the pain contributes to more pain. God has promised to not give us more than we can handle & he created our bodies to do this beautiful work. Sometimes we contribute to more pain by thinking its our job to "push this baby out" Those contractions are doing that job. Rest in God & let Him bring this baby into the world. He also promised that we would forget the pain upon seeing that precious face. Now that is a beautiful thought. I will be praying daily until you post that he is here!
Second note:
One of my sons lost his favorite stuffed animal about three years ago. The tears, the sleepless nights, the searcing the internet for a similar replacement., etc.... Teddy was lost for well over a year. One day Drew went making church visits with my husband and teddy was at one of these homes. Drew was sweet. He came home and said, "Mommy, look what Danny gave me. He is just like Teddy, smells like teddy and is even sewn in the same place where Teddy lost his tail! Prayers for the lost treasure to be found as well.
A Sister in Jesus,
Jen

Unknown said...

This actually has nothing to do with your post today. But I am having a really difficult time and I got on your blog today and heard the music playing and it brought joy to my heart. Thank-you for having praise music playing in the background.

Anonymous said...

just thinking of you and wondering how you're doing -

prayers ~

b in va