The Pain of Childbirth

You may think that the pain of childbirth is in the actual birth itself. I beg to differ. I believe the pain of childbirth comes much later.

I will admit that when my children were much younger there were times when I couldn't wait until they turned 18 and my job as parent would be over. There would be no more lunches to make, no more battles to fight, no more laundry to fold, no more worrying and...no more "Calgon, Take Me Away" moments! Peace and Quiet would reign once more!

And then, around their senior year of high school, this attitude appears.

You thought middle school drama was bad? Dealing with sagging jeans, short skirts, bare bellies, underwear hanging out and what type of bathing suit they were going to wear that summer, was bad? How about dealing with the negotiations over curfews, driving and dating? Oh yeah, even the "Why do I have to go to church? No one in the youth group likes me anyway!" attitude.

No, the attitude I am speaking of is the one that starts with "I can't wait until I turn 18" and ends with "I AM 18 years old AND I can do whatever I WANT because I AM AN ADULT!!!!"

This is the beginning of true labor pains!



Next, comes the pushing...breathe, count, exhale...PUSH! Whether your child leaves home to go to college or whether they move out because they know they have all the answers to life, you will at some moment feel this urge to PUSH! PUSH THEM RIGHT OUT THAT DOOR!

And you do...

You have prepared them the best you know how with the knowledge that you have obtained over the past 3...ok...4, 5 decades of your life! You have tried to teach them not to talk to strangers, how to manage money, drive a vehicle, and how to wash clothes. You have discussed how they should protect themselves against thieves, bullies and even sexually. You have instilled in them moral and Godly values and have been the best Christian example that you can possibly be.

And then the day comes when you have to let them go. And you do...

Now, for some, this can be a good experience or a bad experience. It can be planned or unplanned and it can be loads of fun or a load of ....well, you get my drift. No matter how it begins you will find yourself feeling hurt, sad, wondering what happened to my baby AND will even cry. Yes, Daddies, even you!

No matter how much you hurt or your heart breaks...You let them go! You do it because you know in your heart your child will grow and be better for it.

And life for them as an adult begins...


Did you know that God experienced labor pains? Oh yeah! It began with Adam and Eve...no joke! It actually began before he bestowed the "pain" of childbirth to Eve. God experienced labor pains before Eve did!

In Genesis 2, God gave the nicest, prettiest home to Adam and Eve - The Garden of Eden. He provided for all their needs, gave them companionship, love and gave them food. He even prepared them with warnings and told them not to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

And then in Chapter 3, they get the attitude. They think they are wiser and smarter than God. God now feels the first labor pains. I can imagine the frustration he felt, wondering why they would do such a thing? Why would they listen to a snake instead of believing Him? Why would they question his word and disobey Him? How disappointed he must have felt. God hadn't neglected Adam and Eve. He spent time with them, and gave them responsibilities. God had worked so hard to prepare the garden with beautiful things, trees and animals, rivers with gold and onyx...why, with all he had given, would they think they knew better than He did?


In Genesis 3:21, God does something remarkable. He makes them clothes. What a loving Father our God is! He makes His children clothes to prepare them for leaving home. After all the disrespect Adam and Eve had shown, God makes them clothes! What an awesome and humbing token of love.

God then does as any good parent does, He lets them go...

P-U-S-H, PUSH! He sends them out of the Garden of Eden. Now, they must care for themselves. They will suffer pain and loss and will have to work hard to provide for themselves. They will have challenges and struggles. This wouldn't be easy for God. But He does.

He doesn't desert them though. He is still present. In Genesis 4:1, God is even with Eve as she gives birth to her son.

And they still love Him. God sent them out of the garden and didn't let them back in AND they know that He still loves them AND they return that love. They even teach their children to love God!

Now, inhale...exhale...Ah-h-h!!!
A Gardenia Moment!