Incredible Submission

I've been reading lots of blogs, stories, watching videos, that better educate me about home birth. There is a common denominator with home births, as opposed to hospital births. this incredible submission.

I've done 3 hospital births, and 1 c-section, so I know what it's like going into the state of labor sitting in a hospital room. There are choices. I could go completely natural, I could take some drugs, I could take the epidural, I could have a c-section (yes, some elect for this if able). At home, I have none of those options. I have nothing do to but to submit.

It's been amazing learning about the mindset that I must be in when laboring and delivering at home. I watch these videos of these calm women laboring and receiving their babies, and I think, "How do they do that?"

They submit, with no fear. They give up their bodies, to the way that God designed for them to birth babies. They remain calm because they do not fear what their bodies are capable of because of "Who" designed them. They trust. They trust that if they lay down everything, then the process will take it's place as God intended it to. This incredible submission takes place, because if you fight it, it's more painful. If you fear, it's more painful. It seems in order to have an easier labor, you must submit, and trust, and remain fearless.

phew! That sounds...... terrifying in and of itself. "You must remain fearless?" The thought of needing to remain fearless, intimidates me. Ha! oxymoron? maybe to some. So how does one accomplish this... "remaining fearless and submitting fully to God's design?"

I study. I prepare. I ready myself. I figure out all there is to know about natural births and I hold onto the promises that God has given me through His word.

  "I sought the Lord and He answered me; He delivered me from all my fears. "   Psalm 34:4 

"Stand still and consider the wondrous works of God. "   Job 37:14 

"I can do all things through Him who strengthens me."   Philippians 4:13
 
"For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline."  II Timothy 1:7

These are just a few,. That last one packs a punch with me. Not only through Him does He give power, and love, but discipline. Discipline! Another translation of that would be self-control, ladies and gentlemen. I must have self-control as I labor. Self-control over my worry, my fears, my panic, my pain tolerance, my mindset. Enough self-control to trust, remain calm, remain relaxed. Enough self-control to let go of it all.... to submit.


I have learned so much during this whole process, and I'm not done yet. Soon my submission will be put to the test, as I breathe through my labor. Does this mean that everything will go fine? There could be complications still. Something bad could happen. I am aware of this. But I cannot dwell on the negative, otherwise the positive won't have a chance. I have to know that whatever happens, God is on His throne and that nothing is a surprise to Him.


I don't know about the guys, but girls? What an incredible lesson, that we get to experience first hand. We are not here, "only" to produce babies. We are children of God. We must learn what submission means, not only for our husbands sake, but more importantly for God's sake. We are all called to submit ourselves to God. What a lesson it is to have these experiences to teach us what it truly means to submit, because by God's design, He created us for something so much more than what meets the eye.

So in my hour of bringing forth this life that God has created, I will experience incredible submission in a way that I haven't fully experienced before.

.... and that, after reading God's word, and learning all I can about birth, excites me.