The following meditation was written by Rev. Dr. Michael B. Brown, Pastor of Blowing Rock Methodist Church in North Carolina.
“My little children, I’m going through labor pains again until Christ is formed in you.” Galatians 4:19 (Common English Bible)
The wonderful author, Anne Lamott, wrote in Traveling Mercies:
“Carolyn Myss, the medical intuitive who writes and lectures about why people don’t heal, flew to Russia a few years ago to give some lectures. Everything that could go wrong did; flights were canceled or overbooked, connections missed, her reserved room at the hotel given to someone else. She kept trying to be a good sport, but finally, two mornings later, on the train to her conference on healing, she began to whine at the man sitting beside her about how infuriating her journey had been that far. It turned out that this man worked for the Dalai Lama. And he said—gently—that they believe when a lot of things start going wrong all at once, it is to protect something big and lovely that is trying to get itself born.”[1]
Paul told the Galatians, “I’m going through labor pains again until Christ is formed in you.” Immediate struggles hinted at joy or victory that was on the way. And isn’t that often the case in life? As the psalmist observed: “Weeping may stay all night, but by morning, joy!” (Ps 30:5) Hardship frequently precedes happiness and is often part of the recipe that produces it.
Think of valuable life lessons you have learned that were born of disappointment or discomfort. Betrayal by a friend or a romantic partner you believed in taught you crucial lessons about how fully, how quickly, and how wisely you would surrender yourself to someone in the future. The pain gave birth to a healthier understanding of trust. An accident that could have been tragic, but fortunately was not, taught you lessons about concentrating when behind the wheel. The pain gave birth to a healthier understanding of carefulness. A poor grade in an academic course affected your GPA and perhaps put in danger your plans for attending a specific grad school. The pain gave birth to a healthier commitment to scholarship. A lie thoughtlessly told was found out. You were embarrassed (and possibly even chastised by close acquaintances). The pain gave birth to a new commitment to Integrity. Even in the grief that followed the loss of a loved one, the pain gave birth to a deeper appreciation of friends and family members who are still with you. According to Paul, deeper understandings of Christian faith, and its claims upon our lives, are likewise born of the pain of acknowledging the gap that exists between what we profess and what we practice. “I’m going through labor pains again until Christ is formed in you.”
So, what are you facing at this moment in your life? What trial or temptation? What hardship or heartache? What loneliness or loss? What fear of fatigue? What are you going through that is painful? A wise coping mechanism is to evaluate whatever the issue may be by asking the question, “What good could eventually come of this?” “What can I learn from this situation?” “Will I allow it to make me bitter or better?” “How can I use this experience to equip me for the living that is yet to come?” Pain is wasted on those who refuse to learn. But for those who trust in God’s sustaining and mentoring presence, every struggle may be a birth pain of something beautiful yet to come. “I’m going through labor pains again until Christ is formed in you.”
Joy,
[1] Lamott, Anne. Traveling Mercies (New York, Anchor Books, 1999), p. 107
Nurture Faith with Dr. Doug Hood 