Giving birth to a child is probably the most momentous event of a woman’s life. It may, perhaps, be even more momentous than her wedding day. Not sure. All I know is that I can vividly remember the birth of my two children. Each of those days, left a deep mark on my heart that will never be erased. Now that I am thinking about it, it is the whole birthing process that never leaves us quite the same. Having been present at my granddaughter’s birth, that occasion left a mark on my heart that will also forever be there. So it is definitely the birthing experience.
That “mark”, etched deeply, forever changes us. We never look at those persons quite the same. Ever.
When they are small, we look at them with mixed emotions of awe & fear. We look in awe at this tiny person that was created & grew in utter perfection within us. That little one overwhelms us with the fact that, SURELY, there was Someone much bigger, much more powerful, much more wiser than ourselves involved in this creation.
We look in fear at this tiny person as we become overwhelmed with a sense of responsibility that is so much larger than we ourselves are capable of handling. That little one overwhelms us with the fact that, SURELY, we need Someone much bigger, much more powerful, much more wiser than ourselves to raise this creation to adulthood.
Over the course of time, that “fear” will drive us to our knees & to God more often than we are able to count. No matter how big they get, we will still be driven to our knees over their circumstances, over their hurts, over their disappointments. All that is due to the fact that they have “marked” us for life. The umbilical cord was severed only to create this invisible cord connected to our hearts.
Over the last few days, having been driven to my knees once again due to that invisible connection to my heart, I have been reminded of this verse:
“Can a woman forget her baby who nurses at her breast? Can she withhold compassion from the child she has borne?”  (Isaiah 49:15a NET).
It is with relief that I realized, God has wired us women exactly that way. He designed it such that it would be unnatural, if you would, for a mom to forget or withhold compassion from her child. I will forever love & pray for my children. No matter how big they get, no matter how old, no matter how independent, no matter how far they may go.
It is what it is – to the display & glory of our God. This morning, the fact that I feel this way towards those I birthed, has served to demonstrate the love that God has towards us. For that portion of Scripture continues:
“Even if mothers were to forget, I could never forget you! Look, I have inscribed your name on my palms…” (Isaiah 49:15b-16a NET).
Did you catch it? He can never forget us because He, too, just like me, was “marked” the day that I was born again. He bears that mark on His palms. He can never forget. He can never forget any one of us. He can never stop loving us. And notice that there is an exclamation point in Scripture after that sentence. He SURELY will never forget!
Now that is an amazing love!