But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs.
Matthew 24:8
A birth pang is a contraction during pregnancy.
synonyms for pang: agony, anguish, discomfort, spasm
synonyms for contraction: decline, reduction, recession (a deterioration? -w)
As a woman who has had 14 pregnancies and has seven living children, one thing I am familiar with is pregnancy and labor. I contemplate this verse a lot.
I learned my babies' personalities during the intimate relationship during pregnancy. I discovered their sleep patterns, movements, and how they respond to voices, music, and other sounds. I knew when they had the hiccups and towards the end could tell you who liked to sleep in which position in my womb. Those things helped me get a glimpse of their personalities. Every day, I would greatly anticipate my child's birth so I could get to know them face to face. The severe hyperemesis gravidarum, aches, pains, restless nights, and so on were sufferings that made time seem to stretch out further and further. Time just dragged on. It was hard to believe there was an ending! Then, before it seemed possible it was finally time! Labor had started! The contractions would come, and then I'd get time to rest between them. There was more rest between the pangs at first but the closer it became, there was less time to rest. Finally, there was no rest at all and the hardest part was upon me. I tucked my head and bared down. Then, I heard the cry that signaled the one I was waiting for had arrived. That cry signaled the end of pregnancy and the beginning of a new life! It was JOYOUS! Once I had the baby in my arms and was looking back, it didn't seem like the pregnancy was that long at all. The wait and discomfort became worth it to get to the one I was waiting for.
We are getting to know the Lord and each other through Christian fellowship. It is a foreshadowing of what is to come. We greatly anticipate the day our Savior will come for us so we can get to know Him face to face. But, these disruptive and painful things we are going through down here at the very end of the Church Age make the time pass so slowly. We get time to rest in between events, but I can't help but wonder if soon there will be no rest as the hardest part comes upon us. Soon, we will hear the shout to signal that the One we are waiting for is here! The Church Age is coming to a close and soon our new life with Christ will become a reality. It will be JOYOUS!
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, it seems like time is passing so very s l o w l y right now, but that is because we are so eager for our Savior to arrive. When we look back on this time, we will see it wasn't that long at all. Like pregnancy and labor are worth it to get our child, what we are going through now will be worth it to get to Jesus. "..the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us." Romans 8:18
Keep living for Him! Keep sharing the Good News of salvation through Jesus! It will be over before you know it!
Love to ALL!
-Mama Asbell
