Labor

As I am awaiting the arrival of this new little one, I have been given some time to muse...and last night's musing was on the word "labor" in conjunction with delivering babies. It's funny because "labor" is such a mild word to describe the literal gut-wrenching pain you feel during childbirth. Having gone through it before, I remember it being pretty darn painful. Yet, here I am ANXIOUS to go into labor...even a little frustrated because I am NOT in labor.

It struck me as funny that I, who despises pain of any kind, am looking forward to this kind of labor (read:torture). But here's the gist...at the end of this laborious time period, I will hold in my hands a most precious gift...and it makes all the toil, pain, and yes, "labor" seem insignificant in comparison.

I think about the yearning to be in that pain so that I can receive the reward at the end. It would seem like I am sucking down crazy juice. But let's get serious for a moment. I see many parallels into my own spiritual life...except I am usually not so excited to go through the pain because I can't always see the reward at the end. It's rare that God allows us to go through something painful without having something at the end that shows "why".

In this case, yes, I am looking forward to the serious pain of labor, because I know that at the end of it (and there WILL be an end) that I will meet the little person who God has created to be a part of our family.

Anytime now Lord...