Unto Us — The Birthing Process - Sharon Weekes-Alleyne

UNTO US — THE BIRTHING PROCESS

We read in Genesis man’s fall and God’s redemption plan. Yes, God was pregnant with many ideas and he called them forth. Many things had to shift and move for them to come to fruition. He then had a perfect reproduction plan, but after man sinned, tilling the earth, and bearing children in pain was our consequence-- and that has never changed. So, everything we reproduce or become pregnant with, will not have an easy delivery. We would all be happy if it would, but that will never happen. Even before man sinned God was pregnant with the idea of our redemption, but His redemptive plan took time. It did not happen in a day, a week, or a year, but it was a process that stretched from the first Adam to the second Adam. We had to wait thousands of years for it to come to pass. And it did with the Birth Of Jesus Christ, Our Redeemer. In Matthew, we read of the Birth, Life, Death, and Resurrection of Our Lord and Savior. The angel appears to Mary, calls her blessed and tells her of God’s wonderful plan for her life. She accepts the plan from God according to His will for her life. An angel then appears to Joseph, revealing to him that Mary was truly overshadowed by the Holy Spirit and is carrying the very Son of God — The Messiah. Then God sends Mary to Elizabeth to bring her comfort during that lonely time. When Mary thought it could not get worse, she had to take the long journey with Joseph from Nazareth to Bethlehem-- pregnant and riding on a donkey for hours on end. When they finally get to Bethlehem, there was no place to rest. It was incredibly challenging! Many doors were slammed in their faces; no one wanted to offer a woman, who was almost ready to give birth, a room in their home or hotel. Mary and Joseph had no other option, but to settle for the stable, where the cattle dwelt. Delivering birth to Jesus, in a manger, the cattle’s feeding trough, which became His bed and His first clothes being clothes prepared for a person’s death. But God in His Mercy, sent comfort again, in the form of angels, shepherds and wise men. Everything seemed to be moving smoothly, until not long after, the family were on the run again-- in search of a place to lay their heads once more-- and this time, due to the earthly King Herod’s decree to kill the baby, Jesus. This child, born to be King, became a man and stuck around for thirty-three years, with nothing kingly, prophetic, or heavenly seemingly happening. Even His mom, who was given all this revelation, questioned His calling. When she went with His siblings to call Him out, He said to them, “Those who are here with me are my mother, brothers and sisters.” Then John the Baptist, who saw that dove appear, sent others to ask Him, “Are you really THE ONE, or do we look for someone else?” When He was incarcerated, His disciples and followers left, denied, and betrayed Him, but He stayed the course until prophecy was fulfilled. I am saying all this to say: Your process will not be different. God created us to be like Him-- UNTO US is given spiritual gifts, UNTO US is given dreams, UNTO US is given ideas. These things that we are pregnant with and that are waiting on to be birthed are WITHIN US, but we must go through the process-- the struggles, the birthing pains, and the discomfort. And many times, when we think all is well and we are ready to give birth, the process of pain starts all over again. But at the end of it all, there is joy, when we finally give birth. Like the joy that comes at Christmas— the joy in knowing we celebrate our soon coming King-- THE ONE WHO WAS BORN TO REDEEM US. We Celebrate Jesus-- The ONE who created us to multiply and replenish the earth by walking in our purpose and in His footsteps. So, as we celebrate CHRISTMAS this month, let us not just reflect on the birth of JESUS CHRIST, THE SAVIOR, but let us reflect, as children of God, on the entire process and live out our calling, as He did UNTO US.