Yesterday I popped in on a friend who is due to have her 4th baby anyday now. As we were talking she shared how she has noticed that it seems her body’s way of delivering a baby is thru a long pre-labor. (My friend has been experiencing contractions since 20 weeks – 1/2 way thru pregnancy). Her actual labors previously have been quite quick with her last child being born in 1 1/2hours! Made my supposedly ‘quick’ labor of 6 hours for our son, look long!
This caught the attention of my spirit & I reflected on how birthing in the spirit in my experience had a similiar pattern. I wondered if this was true of how God made things generally work in the spirit by having long pre-labor? I also pondered how in the last weeks (months too) of pregnancy waking frequently during the night is part of the terriority. Rolling over is not quite so easy! (yep expectant fathers this is all part of it!!!!!) I noted how every time God has bought something new to birth in our journey, night watches (regualry waking at night & prayers tumbling out of our spirit) was a common experience. This is spiritual pre-labor! These are the marks of God bringing to birth what He has concieved by his spirit in us.
Funny how due dates mean so little in child birth.. true in God’s kingdom also! We may have our dates, but He alone knows the day & the hour. And so today as I sat for a brief moment to enjoy a coffee, I declared these words in this time of pre-labor… “Rest in the Lord; wait patiently for Him to act. Be patient, like a farmer who waits until autumn for his precious harvest to ripen. It is good to both hope & wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.” (Lam 3:26, Psa 37:7, James 5:7) The birth is imminent!