Postpartum Depression

Reflections: Pregnant with a Purpose!

Reflections: Pregnant with a Purpose!

With the three miscarriages that my wife suffered, we lost three lives before they were given to us.

We as a family experienced that life cannot be brought into existence by our mere calculated attempt or human will, but it’s the giver of life who gives life and also sustains the same. When we see our three boys now growing into young men, we know their lives were preserved and their life has meaning and purpose beyond just some cosmic accident.

I see every pregnancy as sacred and the child that God is adding into a family a gift from above from the very conception.

It is true that all who go through the process of childbirth have different experiences during pregnancy, which is so well narrated by many of the contributors in this issue. Yet seeing every experience of pregnancy and childbirth as partnering with God to cocreate and raise up a Godly generation can give pregnancy a whole new purpose.

These kind of higher perspectives will help us rejoice in the whole process and will enable us to go through this tough phase with a great sense of accomplishment towards a greater goal.

As I write this, I’m in Guayaquil in Ecuador and it’s not very far from the island of Galapagos, where Darwin did some of his study on evolution. The mystery that surrounds human life and the search of human beings across history for a higher power and his ever growing intelligence are uniquely beyond any other animal species.

The Bible narrates in the story of creation that it was only humans who were created in the image of God through God’s life giving Spirit that He breathed into man’s nostrils. No animal can be compared to this mysterious human creation! The mystery of human life continues to baffle us and every human pregnancy is an experience that shows the value of every child.

The nine-month process that is needed to have a healthy baby is the time factor that establishes a deep connection between mother and child. The mother reptiles that lay eggs leave their young ones to fend for themselves, but for human beings, the care that the child gets is so intense and continues after the child is born. We live and care for at least three generations.

So pregnancy is not about adding one more human being into this world, but it’s about having a generation that is going to live and care for each other and for the creator’s greater purpose.

Pregnancy, childbirth and parenting are filled with hopes and challenges. There are many dark tunnels, valleys and rivers we may have to cross when we feel lost or clueless about why and how life happens. Our journeys are unique to us but we can take courage from other experiences and hope from the fact that we are not alone.

If we let God, he can be our friend in this journey, standing with us, guiding us and holding us so that whether in the dark tunnel or in the warm sunshine, we press on to give our children and this world a hope and a future. Let’s aspire to be moms and dads who see parenting as a unique opportunity to bless this world with a better tomorrow!

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