My Husband is Pregnant!!!

Blast from the past...Originally published May, 2015~

Tuesday greetings, all you blessed and beautiful children of our Almighty God!

God blessed me with two lovely children who nonetheless, were responsible for months of agonizing morning sickness.  I also suffered from pytalism (excessive saliva production) during both pregnancies for all nine months, and I could not wait till it was over.  I apologize to the weak-stomached, but the pytalism was so bad that I had to sleep with my mouth open and just allow the saliva to trickle out on its own into a bucket because I just could not swallow.  Weird, but true! This literally went on the entire time those kiddos were in my belly. (Please note that literally, the minute I delivered Hormone and Rayray, it stopped and I felt great!)  And even though Jorge was so patient during both pregnancies, it highly annoyed me that he did not feel sick – ever – and that he could speak to other people without having to excuse himself to spit in a cup.  One time in church, the youth pastor, God bless him, actually asked me for my “special cup” during the bible lesson, and imagine my horror at having to deny him in front of everyone.  He playfully insisted a few times, and I playfully countered that I couldn’t do it. He was not able to make his point that day, and I was mortified at having to explain it to him later.  Wouldn’t it be great if Jorge could feel what I felt even for one moment?

Actually, MY HUSBAND IS PREGNANT!  That’s right! Jorge is pregnant!  But wait, it’s not what you think.  

Romans 8:22-25 “All around us we observe a pregnant creation. The difficult times of pain throughout the world are simply birth pangs. But it’s not only around us; it’s within us. The Spirit of God is arousing us within. We’re also feeling the birth pangs. These sterile and barren bodies of ours are yearning for full deliverance. That is why waiting does not diminish us, any more than waiting diminishes a pregnant mother. We are enlarged in the waiting. We, of course, don’t see what is enlarging us. But the longer we wait, the larger we become, and the more joyful our expectancy (The Message Version).”

Simply stated: Me, Jorge, you – the entire creation – are all pregnant with the very real hope that someday soon all the evils, troubles, injustices, problems, sin, sickness etc…will give way to a glorious existence with Christ!  It does not matter that the world is utterly crazy and chaotic right now.  (Right before I sat down to send this DEVO I learned of the bombing in Brussels this morning.)We have a hope that does not diminish, but grows grows grows.

Another version of the Bible say, “The whole of creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth…” What I like about these verses is that it reminds us that we are all in this together.  We understand each other.  We all get it.  We are all united in our understanding of how difficult life can be.  Jorge gets me, I get him, we get you, and you get us!

Some of us may be feeling the “pangs” a little more intensely lately; we are desperate to give birth already.  But as we labor, we must remind ourselves that what we are going to give birth to is worth the wait.  As bad as I felt being pregnant with Hormone, that did not stop me from getting pregnant with Rayray because the end result was a precious life. Yet spiritually speaking, what we will give birth to is something so much infinitely better that God reminds us in His Word that there are no human words capable of describing the magnificence and perfection of it all!

As we swell with anticipation, it is important to connect with our Father.  He will guide us along as we wait.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, It’s not easy being pregnant sometimes.  It hurts, yet we know that this is part of the process to finally having and seeing and experiencing all that we have ever hoped for and then some.  In Jesus’ name, AMEN!

A Good Return~

Ecclesiastes 4:9 “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor.”

This past Christmas my daughter-in-law, Lis, wanted to surprise Hormone with a pitching mound.  She ordered it on-line, and it arrived within a few days.  Except that it was a bunch of parts and screws with instructions all mixed together in a box.  She needed help.

Jorge to the rescue!

They spent the better part of a day toiling away, and Lis did just as much work as Jorge.  When it was all over, they had the satisfaction of a job well-done as well as a good return for their efforts.

I was so impressed when I came home and saw them having so much fun, that I took a picture to forever remember the day (see below).  Look at them with their matching protective eye wear! Hahaha! 

But I was also immediately reminded of the verse above. 

In this case it was daughter-in-law and father-in-law uniting for their shared love of Hormone, and they had a great experience working together. 

When we work together we help each other succeed.  I wonder if there is more than one application to this verse?

Let’s check it out Thursday.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, Thank You for reminding us that two are better than one.  We agree!  Fill our lives with those who are willing to go the distance with us, and help us be the kind of person who is also willing to do their part.  We can expect a good return for our efforts!  In Jesus’ name, AMEN~

If You Can't Stand the HEAT...Stay Put Anyway~

GO HEAT!

 

What a series, what a game, what a win!!!

 

Last night as all the revelers revelled way into the wee hours of the morning, and as I found it difficult to fall asleep with all the car honking, firecrackers (I hope that was what was responsible for the booming noises and not guns), and pot banging, I thought, "As everyone here in South Florida is celebrating is there anything we can learn from the HEAT?"

 

Yes there is, but not from the HEAT directly.

 

Tuesday's Game Six came down to the wire. It was a nail-biter, and some of the fans, sure we were going to lose, ditched the arena. Once outside the doors they realized that Ray Allen made a 3-point shot that tied the game and eventually led to an overtime thriller.

 

They rushed to get back inside, but NOPE! They couldn't come back in. Bailing early cost them the opportunity to eyewitness one of the greatest comebacks ever.

 

Even Lebron said it was one of the greatest games he had ever been a part of.

 

Truth is the fans at the arena weren't the only ones who couldn't bear to watch. Someone close to me, OK--it's Jorge--shuffled off to bed with his head hanging low prepared to wrestle with the adrenaline overdose that the highs and lows of the game had produced.

 

Lucky for him that he gets ESPN updates on his phone, and he just couldn't help it. He mustered the bravery to look at the score, and once it went into overtime, he pepped right up and watched the last five minutes standing at full attention.

 

Much like some of the HEAT fans, we give up. We throw in the towel. We decide that we have been praying too hard and too long for the help that will never come, so we stop. We disconnect. We hang out head low and resign ourselves to living with whatever has us bothered.

 

I know this because it has happened to me. There was a season in my life when I was bone-tired of asking, seeking, pleading, knocking, and yes, sometimes wailing like a baby about a certain thing before God's glorious presence.

 

Some days I didn't even feel like praying about it--to be honest. I wondered whether it made a difference. I wondered if maybe my time wouldn't be better spent reading a book or watching TV. I wondered whether God had lost interest in me. Whether He still cared, because surely if He cared He would have answered by now.

 

But because my mother, God bless her lovely soul, taught me--not so much by words but by example--to never give up on prayer, I prayed on.

 

I discovered that God welcomes our half-hearted, slightly disconnected, weak babbling because He loves spending time with us--even when we are at our worst.

 

I also discovered that if you persist in praying--no matter how feeble the offering--eventually you will find yourself re-energized to get back in and fully engage.

 

It's called being strengthened in faith, and it's what happens when we refuse to exit the game early because it looks like we're going to lose.

 

HANG IN THERE!!! You may be in overtime--you may be discouraged. You want nothing more than to check out and go to bed and sleep until it's all over. But if you do, you will miss out on a special powerful answer catered just for you.

 

Colossians 4:12-13 "What a trooper he has been! He’s been tireless in his prayers for you, praying that you’ll stand firm, mature and confident in everything God wants you to do."

 

These verses refer to a man named Epaphras. He is described in the Bible as a "dear and faithful minister of Christ."

 

He had a worthy goal of wanting to see folks standing firm, mature and confident, and the first step was to be tireless in his prayers.

 

Other versions of the Bible say he was "struggling in prayer," praying intensely," "combating earnestly," "wrestling in prayer," and "laboring fervently in prayer."

 

No wonder we feel like quitting sometimes; it's hard work!!!

 

But let's resolve today that we will not. It will be worth it to see those we love standing firm, mature, and confident in everything God has for them. I can personally testify that it is worth it!

 

PRAYER:

Dear Lord, Don't let us give up. Too much is at stake. And thank You that when we get tired of wrestling, You re-energize us with Your perfect strength. We pray for those we love and ask You to help them stand firm, mature, and confidently today. In Jesus' name, AMEN~