the miracle of life

Today I witnessed the most powerful event I have ever seen. Emotionally, physically, and relationally, delivering a baby takes STRENGTH. If you are under the misconception that men are the stronger gender, watch a woman give birth. You'll get straightened out pretty quickly on that topic.

Before a baby is born, the mother s t r u g g l e s. She cries. She yells. She shudders. As soon as the baby is born, she is blissful. She loses sight of the inconceivable pain and delights in her prize. It's as if she has developed amnesia, forgetting the toiling, though it consumed her only moments before. I watched as three women gave birth today - one c-section and two natural births. Birth is absolutely the most beautiful and most disgusting thing I've ever seen. It is shocking, yet, strikingly natural, as every part works to achieve the goal for which it was created. All I can say is women of the world, you are unstoppable. And also, THANKS MOM! Even more, thank You, God, for designing us this way. There are no words to describe the beauty of what You have done.

To rewind, the last three days have been full. I started at the clinic on Monday and returned there on Tuesday, working full days both days.

On Monday, I worked with a friend of mine from high school who is a nurse. It was great to work with her because being the new person in a clinic is a little intimidating. She showed me the ropes and through her work, I learned thousands of tiny things about rural healthcare & healthcare in general. The biggest thing I learned on Monday was that a clinic will fail if it doesn't have good nurses. Nurses definitely keep the medical field running. Next time you see a nurse, thank him/her. The other thing I learned is that being an RN or LPN isn't for me. : )

On Tuesday I worked alongside a midwife (CNM). From 8:30 - 4:30, this midwife saw TWENTY SEVEN patients. It was amazing to observe her competence and ability to deduce information about the baby and the pregnancy with a few simple tests. She is not given much praise for her job, but she deserves all of our thanks. I have to say, if this profession is where I am called, I would consider helping women deliver their babies an absolute honor. At the end of the day, the CNM I was observing invited me to observe a delivery she had scheduled for the next day, which is what lead me to today's activities.

Along with the crazy experiences I've been having, I've been thinking about dignity and control of the tongue. The way a nurse obtains a history from a patient can show the patient respect, or it can belittle him/her. The way we talk about people we love can display that love fully, or create wounds we regret. The way a midwife explains a procedure to a patient can show care or haste. God does not delight in us trivializing or deprecating our brothers and sisters; part of fully loving our neighbors is being mindful of our words. I will confess that I am the chief of sinners when it comes to this. There will probably more to follow on my scattered thoughts about this topic.

Let's hear it for the women of the world!