I am a Mom and it has been an honor to be a Mom these 50 plus years. Dick and I are blessed with four wonderful adult children and twelve grand-children. It is a privilege to be a Mom. As I think back on half a century of motherhood, I realize the beautiful gifts God gave me.
Our children, even though now they are adults with children of their own, are as precious to us today as they were that exhilarating day they were born. To think that those little babies, inside of me, growing for nine months, and then entering this world with all the capacities to become thriving adults themselves, proves the ultimate plan of Almighty God.
To think it all started when one of my cells joined with one of Dick's cells. Imagine! One little tiny, microscopic cell in my body met another tiny microscopic cell from Dick's body, and by design, that union of cells, over nine months incredibly became a son or daughter, was born and placed in the arms of MOM! When you study the fertilization process, the continuous cell divisions, the implantation, the timeline of physical body development...you will be overwhelmed. Just think...the heart starts beating at 4 weeks! Yes, we are powerfully and wonderfully made! Psalm 139 reminds us of the fact that our Creator planned us and created us.
For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. Psalm 139: 13-16 NIV
I remember, though, when I thought motherhood was an impossibility for me. We have four adult children but I was pregnant seven times. My first pregnancy ended in a six week miscarriage, my second pregnancy ended in a full-term stillborn (you can read the story on my blog post of Saturday December 1, 2012 "Letter to Ellen...a mother's letter of tears and love") and my fourth pregnancy ended with one of my fallopian tubes suddenly erupting with a tubal pregnancy. Glenn was our miracle third pregnancy and #5,6,7 pregnancies were the blessed births of Beth, Carin and Diana....all within five years! Those last three pregnancies occurred with only one ovary and one fallopian tube which emphasizes how wonderfully and adaptable our bodies are created. Yes, I am blessed to be called Mommy four times!
We are created with intricate chromosomes, cells and body chemistry that the scientists are constantly unraveling. It is interesting about my tubal pregnancy. It was late 1962 when one Saturday I experienced sudden excruciating pain in the right side of my abdomen. I curled up on the bed unable to do anything but groan with pain. This lasted about 45 minutes. Dick was ready to take me to the hospital, but suddenly the pain stopped. I remember lying there with great anxiety wondering when the pain would return. There remained a dull ache but not incapacitating. A call to my obstetrician resulted in an office appointment the following week. Within weeks I underwent exploratory abdominal surgery. The result showed one fallopian tube had indeed ruptured but I did not suffer peritonitis because, in the words of the surgeon..."the body built a shield of protection around the area, sealing off any intrusion into the abdominal cavity, thus protecting you from full-blown abdominal infection." I remember thinking..."how did the body do that?"
Just recently I learned about 'laminin', that incredible protein molecule (there are millions) in our body that protects us daily from all sorts of invaders. I quote from one scientist, "Laminin is a protein that is part of the extracellular matrix in humans and animals. It has 'arms' that associate with other laminin molecules to form sheets and bind to cells." And I can't help but wonder if the laminin in my body helped to build that 'shield of protection' around my ruptured fallopian tube. Incidentally, 'laminin' exists in the shape of a cross! What an amazing discovery. The laminin in the shape of a cross....and the cross reminds me of Jesus who died on a cross for my sins....and the laminin is a protein molecule that protects my body from danger. WOW!
Again I am always amazed how our God has created our bodies...so intricate, so inter-related, with the ability to improvise, to compensate, to heal and most important to function. Scientists are discovering more and more the undeniable truths that a Creator, with ultimate precision, fashioned our physical, emotional, mental, spiritual bodies for fellowship with Him.
Motherhood is a privilege, a joy and a God given ability. Let us all rejoice for our mothers who birthed us as God intended.... and for us mothers who birthed our children so that they may live lives for His purposes. Yes indeed, we are "fearfully and wonderfully made". HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!
