As an expectant mother, I always felt this tension deeply, especially at then end of my pregnancies (all of my babies came on or after their due dates). I would find myself in those final days, waiting not-so-patiently to meet my little one, researching wives’ tales and other labor-inducing tricks. As everyone would ask how I was feeling, I began to sigh and feign misery. The truth is, I felt fine. Tired, of course, and slightly uncomfortable, but overall, I had nothing to complain about.
The issue, then, was more with my heart than my body. For months, I had been mentally preparing myself for the due date assigned by the doctor. In my head, I set that date as the end point, the Christmas to my Advent season, if you will. So when I went to the doctor and was told yet again that my body was not showing signs of labor, I found myself utterly disappointed.
As I was seeking solace and trying to find peace in the waiting, I was graciously reminded by my Father that all of this will happen in His time – no matter how far I walk, or how much spicy food I eat or whatever other techniques I employ. I had to let go of any sense of control over the situation, to learn to wait joyfully and not begrudgingly, to live in the truth that the gift at the end of this waiting is so worth the wait, no matter if it is a few days longer than I was expecting.
My prayer for all you mommas out there as you wait to meet your little one is that your waiting would be full of joy, not tinged with bitterness because you are not in control (as if we ever are!). That your heart would be content just a little longer, until the timing is right for all this to happen. That you would live each day with expectancy and have an Advent mindset, not growing impatient. And that your waiting would feel worth it in the end.
