Arms Full of Children: Welcome To the World Little Girl

Since the moment I decided to have a third child after loosing my second there has been a whispering that could only be from the pit of hell. “Why would you want anymore children?” “I understand but that’s just too much kids.” “Your so brave I couldn’t do it!” These words did not come from a demon but out of the mouths of people that, if it were not for their parents they would not be here. It is those who are alive that seem to have such negative views about life. It amazes me how they can’t see the irony in this.

I am not brave. I am not a hero for wanting to have a big family. I was actually the opposite. I was not mothered or fathered. I wanted a huge family as a child but I had no idea how much the trauma of abuse and abandonment would one day affect me. Once I found out I thought to myself there is no way I could mother more than one child. How could I have the patience and with my mental illnesses, how could I do this? Once I had went through my first traumatic birth experience, I had decided I would have no more kids. I was full of fear and back then fear is what guided a lot of my life choices. But then like always the one who knows me best brought me across women who had large families. Women full of peace, love and gratitude for their children. God knows my heart and He knows that sometimes I need to see to hear and then come to understanding.

What people don’t know is that with each child I have had there is a story. A story of God’s faithfulness to me. His love for me. How He has delivered me and how He has made me. Without them my story would be different. It has been God’s will that I have these children because it has been through their conceptions, pregnancies, births and raising that He made me the woman I am still becoming. When I look at each of them I see me through them. And so when someone has the audacity to tell me or say to me selfish things about me having children, I feel bad for them.. Because it is then I realize that there is something so sad, dark and lonely that lives in them to have such negative views about children. And let me be real I am a feisty woman and sometimes it angers me. Because of the simple fact that they don’t know my story. They have no idea the pain, the heartbreak and rising from the ashes stories of each of those little children I have given birth to. They are my heart. Not one born on accident or by chance. But hand picked, chosen and named by the Father of all creation. They were created and born on purpose with purpose.

My full satisfaction was in Him and is in Him alone. And because He is so faithful to me I have never felt more victorious than I do right now from walking through this past pregnancy. The names of my daughter come from two great queens of whom I have admired for their tenacity and their resilience in their respective times. Through this sweet girl I have in so many ways become a stronger women in heart, mind and spirit and I have learned the simplicity of the love of God on a whole new level. Every year that passes He finds ways to raise me up and show me truly how fierce and amazing I really am. As a women, as a wife, as a mother and as a daughter of His.

I am Woman + Who was Eve?

Photo by: My Joy in Mae Creations

After I had my son, whom I thought then would be my final child, I started to hunger for a deeper understanding for what womanhood in Christ really was. Keeping house, submitting to my husband and serving in my church and community, seemed to be what I found every where I searched for this wisdom. But I did all those things and yet who I was as a woman never surfaced inside of me. You see, I had no women to tell me or show me what womanhood was. All my life I longed for an older women to pass on her wisdom to me as I rapidly grew from little girl to young lady in a blink of an eye. To my dismay all the women in my life either abused me, abandoned me or just simply forgot about me.

After becoming a mother and years of healing that lead to many dilverances, I looked to the word of God. I started where a large majority of Christian women are referred to when seeking out this very wisdom, Proverbs 31:10 The Wife Of Noble Character. And although the scripture paints a beautiful description of a women whom embodies virtue, I felt that it isn’t at all what womanhood really is.

My first thought was Eve herself. When I decided to look at Eve I realized, well there’s not much to see. We don’t know nearly as much as I would love to know about both Adam and Eve. I’m nosy that way. So I reread the small part of her story over and over again. Moving onto other scripture sometimes and coming back to hers, and then one day, something captured my attention.

Whats in a name?

“Adam named his wife Eve, because she would become the mother of all living”

In Genesis 3:20 I notice the first clue about Eve. She didn’t choose her name, but Adam did. I saw the pure reasons why Adam may have given her that name. With my whole heart I believe that he saw her for more than just a partner, a helper or someone he would be intimate with, he saw her as life itself in the flesh. Her name alone must have reminded her every day of the power she held. That power was given to her graciously from her Creator. Despite her betrayal, He made her to do only what He can do and that is the power to create and give life. That humbled my heart. God gave such a magnificent piece of Himself to women what does that say about me as a woman?

Realizing this gave me an appreciation for the fact that I as a women, hold such a powerful gift that no man could ever do, the gift to give life. Not just in child bearing but in heart, body and spirit. It created instantly a pride in me I never possessed before not even after I birthed my own children. Every time I choose to love and nurture another human being on earth I am naturally able to spark life into them. The moment I speak up for the lost and choose to love the broken, life is being created, through love, with each word, and each action.

That’s why its much more natural for us to do because it’s apart of who we are! That was the moment I saw differently how I could impact my household as well. By embracing this gift in me I now know how to pray over myself and my family in times of much needed spiritual warfare. Who says we’re not super woman? Okay maybe not that one but you know what I mean.

The Breath of Life

“With the help of the Lord I have brought forth a man.” Later she gave birth to her brother Abel.

After reading this scripture in Genesis 4:1-2, I realized Eve knew who her God. She knew that He was her helper and her strength but she also knew by the birth of Abel, that God held their very life in His hands. Abel’s name has been said to mean “Breath” now I believe that’s exactly what it means. But every where I have researched it says his name was given, because like a breath he would not live long. I am not going to go into a rant on that vague speculation. But what I do know is that Eve knew how her own existence came into being.

I know good and well that child birth can give you a whole new perspective on life. It’s terrifying at worse and humbling all around. And I am sure once she went through it under the curse for the second time she knew that God is the giver of life and therefore named her son after the same Spirit that was breathed into her as well. Therefore his name most likely means “Breath” not because of a short life but because of the Life Giver.

Eve knew who her God was and that in Him, He creates life, death, darkness and light. He is able to save and He is able to destroy and there was nothing she went through that had not already passed through His hands. He’s got her back! Though Eve was a woman created to give and create life, she knew that without her God none of it would be possible. These two powerful lessons are the first I have learned about who God made me as a women.

I may have inherited a fallen flesh, but I am a Queen forevermore redeem by my Savior, restored to my former glory through the Creator.

I hold the power of life within myself and I am able to bring that life into my arms and in the world around me.

A power that creates love, unity and justice that leads to humble hearts and stories of forgiveness.

That same power allows me to be the head and never the tail. And to have full authority over everything God places into my hands.

It gives me the ability to no longer be the victim, but the warrior that fights for the freedom of others leading them to their own victory.

All of this is what Eve taught me and the Holy Spirit gave me. This is the woman that God sent his son to die on the cross so that we may be restored back to. Daughters of Zion behold your God and let Him bring you into true womanhood!

J.S