A Baby Changes Everything

Every parent talking to a man or woman about to have their first child knows something the soon-to-be-parents don’t: they have no idea what’s about to hit them.  Their world is about to be completely turned upside down.  Whatever dreams of a schedule they had will quickly fade into the reality of feeding schedules and diaper changes.  Whatever sense of control they had over their lives will soon end.  A tiny creature incapable of intelligible speech with no knowledge of the fact that it possess arms and legs with hands and feet attached will become their master, dictating their sleep cycle, their bathing habits, and their spending plan.  Their lives will change instantly.  They will suffer from sleep deprivation and spit-up saturation.  And they choose to undergo all of this voluntarily!

When a woman finds out she is pregnant, it is very common for her to evaluate everything she has been doing without thinking.  What she eats, what she drinks, what she smokes, when she sleeps – everything is looked at with great scrutiny.  I knew a woman who was a pack-a-day smoker who stopped cold turkey as soon as she found out she was pregnant.  Other women who are usually couch potatoes find themselves walking 30 minutes a day to get healthy.  Women who once swore off vegetables as an arch enemy suddenly is immersed in dark green leafy veggies.  Women who hate swallowing pills are willing to gag themselves on a prenatal horse pill every morning.

Why do women examine their lives so carefully when they are pregnant?  Simply because they want their baby to thrive long before they draw their first breath.  When pregnant women really understand the impact of their choices on the life of their child, they make changes that they would not have made otherwise.

Even though it was long before we had modern medicine to inform us about the impact of diet, exercise and rest on ourselves and children within, I am certain Mary played it safer when she discovered that she was pregnant.  The decisions she made would affect her and her baby.

What would happen if we took a similar approach to our faith, realizing that Christ dwells within us, and that Christ naturally wants to grow in our lives all the way to maturity?  What if we believed that our daily decisions really would make a difference on the likelihood of our spiritual health?

• We would think about what we eat and drink more carefully.  We would think about the fuel we feed our bodies, and would choose the best we could.  Have you ever treated your dietary habits as a spiritual discipline?
• We would exercise.  We would want to be as physically healthy as possible so that our bodies would be the best tool for us as possible.  Have you ever thought of exercise as a spiritual activity?
• We would take rest seriously.  We would realize that building calm into our lives is as important as integrating exercise and a healthy diet.  Have you ever considered guarding “rest” in your schedule as a spiritual discipline?
• We would read as much as we could to learn everything we could about the journey we’re on.  We would realize that we have much to learn that will help us make the most of our experience and avoid common pitfalls.  Have you ever considered integrating various forms of learning about your faith as a spiritual exercise?
• We would get professional help.  We would talk things over with a doctor, midwife, or nurse practitioner to gain from their perspective and get their help in staying on the right track.  Have you considered getting a spiritual check up with a professional?  I wonder what that might do for you…
• We would join others who are on the same journey with us.  We would gain a lot of confidence in the company of others; we would learn from peers, and together we would be stronger than we possibly could alone.  Have you considered building community into your life as a spiritual prescription?

Mary, though very young to be with child by our standards, discovered very quickly that a baby changes everything.  Without question, she met new challenges, and made decisions that perhaps made things tougher for her, not easier – but the payoff was worth it.

May you be so motivated and eventually blessed as you follow in Mary’s footsteps this Christmas.