Category Archives: Submitting to God

A Word from Birgitta

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I’m probably not the only one who took for granted the incredibly brilliant and creative design of pregnancy until it happened to me. I’ve experienced many physical changes over the past 8½ months and I have been awed to learn about what has gone on within me. It has completely changed my perspective on God and his involvement in my life.

Faith does not come naturally to me. I am a person who has always been prone to doubting and questioning God. For a long time I floundered between believing that He was vaguely aware of my life from a distance and that He did not exist at all. When I did acknowledge His presence, I related to him as subject to master, often feeling scolded and constantly skeptical of the notion that God is interested in the details of my life. Becoming pregnant has transformed my heart and mind.

I am glad to live in an age where an abundance of information about pregnancy is available. I imagine that women of ancient times were amazed at the process, but as the majority of the changes are internal, it seems that for the most part, the progression of pregnancy would remain a mystery. I am very thankful that I have the privilege of reading many detailed accounts describing the remarkable work my body is doing internally to bring another human into being. The new developments I read about each week never cease to astonish me. As of this week, 2 weeks from my due date, my baby’s miniature and incredibly complex organ systems are complete and her lungs mature.

I believe the processes of conception, pregnancy, and childbirth are not the result of evolution, but are intentional and purposeful designs set into place by an omniscient Creator. The system for bringing forth new life could be different. Babies could be carried within the male body or they could grow from the ground. The familiar design of a new life growing within a woman for approximately nine months is the best design, and I love how it feels to be a part of something so wondrously ordained by God.

Colossians 1:15-17 affirms that God not only created everything in Heaven and on earth, but He continues to hold everything together. That thought is so beautiful to me. Generations upon generations of the human race do not stay alive without the hands of God being continuously involved. This is why I believe that He is intimately involved in what is happening within me. It would be impossible for me to deny His existence or His interest in our finest details now. My pregnancy has given me evidence of the unseen, and for that I will be forever thankful.

“The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” (Colossians 1:15-17)

 

But I want it!

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When I was 9 years old, our 4th grade class studied Africa. One textbook photo showed a family of elephants, the adults protectively circled around several babies. My youthful eyes landed on those little elephants with their miniature trunks and wispy baby hair, and I fell in love.

At the dinner table that night I told my family I was going to get a baby elephant for a pet. Everyone had a good laugh and moved on to other topics, but 9 year olds don’t give up easily. I began a relentless campaign to get my elephant and refused to let it drop, even putting my plan in writing to try to make Dad understand.

I told him I would take full responsibility, would build a shed for my elephant in the back yard, and would make money to buy his food by giving rides to neighbor kids. Every bit of this logic was sincere and (at least in my mind) doable.

It didn’t take long for Mom and Dad to tire of my elephant talk, and eventually they delivered a clean-cut “no” along with, “Don’t bring it up again.” Then they added a kicker: “Margaret, you need to be content with what you already have.”

I wasn’t, and determined not to be, until I got my elephant.

Fifty-seven years later, I’ve given up on the elephant but still have trouble with contentment. My unrest isn’t from wanting a bigger house, a newer car, nicer clothes, or any other touchable possession. It’s a craving for a greater understanding of God and a mind like Christ.

Sometimes I listen to a teacher pray passionately for global revival and wonder why I’m not crying like she is. I watch a Bible study video and can’t believe I missed the specific truth she got from the verses. I hear a sermon about miracles and want to see them happening all around me. Scripture says, “No matter how much we see, we are never satisfied. No matter how much we hear, we are not content.” (Ecclesiastes 1:8)

True. And it applies as much to intangibles as to tangibles.

Finding contentment with what we have and then resting in it doesn’t come easily. The apostle Paul told us he’d found it (Philippians 4:11), and we wonder how. Then we look backwards at his life and see that virtually everything had been taken from him: home, possessions, position, respect, safety, authority, even his health. After that, if he received anything back, he appreciated it no-end and was content. He didn’t get angry or bitter, because his contentment was based on something other than what he had or didn’t have. It was based on Christ.

So, I have 2 choices. I can either lose everything like Paul did and learn contentment the hard way, or I can set aside my restlessness and let God decide when (or if) he’ll give me what I hope to receive.

And while I’m waiting, maybe I’ll take a trip to the zoo.

“True godliness with contentment is itself great wealth.” (1 Timothy 6:6)

Pat-a-Pat

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“Stop right there, ma’m,” the airport security woman said. “Keep your feet on the markers.” Those lining up behind me ready to pass through the magnetic archway rolled their eyes and sighed, but that didn’t stop her from sliding the gate-ribbon across their path, shutting down the line.

“We have to swab your hands,” she said, snapping on blue rubber-gloves. Then she brushed a small white tab over my hands, front and back.

“Wait here,” she said, walking away with the paper strip. When she returned, she was shaking her head.

“Uh oh,” I said.

“Yup.” Then she motioned to her cohort. “We have an RPD.”

“Follow me,” she said, as airport personnel gathered my carry-on bag, coat, computer, and shoes. When I tried to help, she said, “No. Don’t touch.”

Two women accompanied me into a small room with no windows and closed the door. Both pulled on rubber gloves, and I figured I was in for some excitement, but it turned out to be just a thorough pat-down. “Sensitive areas will be touched only with the backs of my hands,” she said.

“What are you looking for?” I said.

“Chemicals. You’re undergoing a resolution pat-down.” After she was through, she carefully took another paper strip and brushed it all over her gloves, then fed it into a machine resembling a heart monitor with a graph line across its screen.

After studying the results she said, “You’re clear, dear,” and set me free to board my scheduled flight to England. I wanted to ask questions but didn’t want to rock her security-boat, so gathered my things and silently walked away.

Sometimes it’s best to say nothing at all.

Maybe our tendency to say too much is why so many Scriptures deal with our mouths. We read about tongues speaking slander, strife, evil, deceit, lies, and perversion… and those are just for starters.

It also speaks of tongues of gentleness, kindness, singing, righteousness, joy, healing, and praises to God.

Apparently the choice is ours.

Words are important to God. We’re told in the Bible that all the books in the world couldn’t contain the things Jesus did, let alone everything else in other biblical categories. Yet God chose only certain words to include in our Bibles, each one significant.

Human words are important too, since they reveal our opinion of the words God gave us in the first place. If we use words of slander, lies, deceit, or perversion, it’s as if we’re throwing his word-choices back at him in favor of our own. If we believe his words and honor them with obedience, our mouths will speak gentleness, kindness, joy, and righteousness.

Proverbs tells us even a fool might appear wise if she keeps her mouth shut (i.e. me during the RPD), but a higher goal would be to go ahead and talk, but to make sure our words are pleasing to God.

“Death and life are in the power of the tongue.” (Proverbs 18:21)