Yocheved's Midwifery Cradle: Yocheved's Midwifery Cradle: Birth Miracles to God...:
Yocheved's Birth stories from around the world:
Thanks be to God for every miracle!
O Lord
of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid,
and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto
thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the Lord all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head.
Every
birth has also death as a potential, and it certainly reminds the
mother-to-be suddenly at the latest on the onset of the contractions of
her own mortality as an in-built instinct and a reminder of God that we
must trust and listen to His voice to always in the right moment to make
the right choice. These days, the active decision is often taken away
from the mother in more or less subtle ways as soon as she enters a
labour ward that is mainly run out of an overall-consideration for
coordinating staff and resources smoothly at a cost-effective pace and
to make the most efficient use of the available space.
It
is a very life-changing process and for many mothers the very first
time that she suddenly feels taken over by a sense of vulnerability that
makes her surrender her life to God's power and protection, even and
especially, if she has to choose from one instance to another between
her own life and that of her child. Every pregnancy and every birth has
life or death in its potential and as its outcome, and it makes us aware
that, after all, life is not in our sole control and that we are indeed
mortal. And for some souls it can be overwhelming at first after birth,
even if everything went extremely well that we are now responsible for a
new life in our arms that is totally dependant on us and no other
person can take that responsibility up for us.
Parenting
is God's way of teaching us selflessness and loving-kindness and also
to take up responsibility with firmness and to raise our children as
holy beings on earth, who abide by His law with a glad and pure heart.
These
days, mothers are either often coaxed into 'functioning' in a world of
either too much technology and interference of a whole host of medical
intervention, or , if local resources are not available, they are left
to very restricted help - midwives and friends, who are involved already
in the pregnancy and post-natal are so precious to the whole process of
making the right active choices that is best for mother and baby.
From
the moment that we know we are 'in hope' (I like this mystery
description, with which I was brought up as a child) we are also always
anxious that something could go wrong at any time, or we have an
overwhelming sense that all is just going to be fine. And we know in
both instances, if we truly listen to God's voice, who always will guide
us to make the right choice.
I always knew even before
the babies entered my womb their soul, as God showed me all my babies
in my dreams long before that, and let me even wake up with their smell
and a sense of touch. And my children also had been 'informed' sometimes
before me about their impending brother's or sister's conception, and
drew even pictures of the baby.
Amram and me prayed
with a contrite heart to God, for the safe conception and delivery of a
child, in similar words as can be later found in Hannah's prayer, and He
granted us Aaron, Miriam and Moses - now you probably know that our
lives were not exactly easy but all of our three children we dedicated
to God and offered them unto Him, and they all fulfilled their roles,
for that He had chosen them, just like He had done with us :
O Lord
of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid,
and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto
thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the Lord all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head.
1 Samuel 1
King James Version (KJV)
1 Now
there was a certain man of Ramathaimzophim, of mount Ephraim, and his
name was Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu,
the son of Zuph, an Ephrathite:
2 And
he had two wives; the name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the
other Peninnah: and Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.
3 And this man went up out of his city yearly to worship and to sacrifice unto the Lord of hosts in Shiloh. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, the priests of the Lord, were there.
4 And when the time was that Elkanah offered, he gave to Peninnah his wife, and to all her sons and her daughters, portions:
5 But unto Hannah he gave a worthy portion; for he loved Hannah: but the Lord had shut up her womb.
6 And her adversary also provoked her sore, for to make her fret, because the Lord had shut up her womb.
7 And as he did so year by year, when she went up to the house of the Lord, so she provoked her; therefore she wept, and did not eat.
8 Then
said Elkanah her husband to her, Hannah, why weepest thou? and why
eatest thou not? and why is thy heart grieved? am not I better to thee
than ten sons?
9 So
Hannah rose up after they had eaten in Shiloh, and after they had
drunk. Now Eli the priest sat upon a seat by a post of the temple of the
Lord.
10 And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the Lord, and wept sore.
11 And she vowed a vow, and said,
O Lord
of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid,
and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto
thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the Lord all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head.
12 And it came to pass, as she continued praying before the Lord, that Eli marked her mouth.
13 Now
Hannah, she spake in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was
not heard: therefore Eli thought she had been drunken.
14 And Eli said unto her, How long wilt thou be drunken? put away thy wine from thee.
15 And
Hannah answered and said, No, my lord, I am a woman of a sorrowful
spirit: I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but have poured out
my soul before the Lord.
16 Count not thine handmaid for a daughter of Belial: for out of the abundance of my complaint and grief have I spoken hitherto.
17 Then Eli answered and said, Go in peace: and the God of Israel grant thee thy petition that thou hast asked of him.
18 And
she said, Let thine handmaid find grace in thy sight. So the woman went
her way, and did eat, and her countenance was no more sad.
19 And they rose up in the morning early, and worshipped before the Lord, and returned, and came to their house to Ramah: and Elkanah knew Hannah his wife; and the Lord remembered her.
20 Wherefore
it came to pass, when the time was come about after Hannah had
conceived, that she bare a son, and called his name Samuel, saying,
Because I have asked him of the Lord.
21 And the man Elkanah, and all his house, went up to offer unto the Lord the yearly sacrifice, and his vow.
Prayer after the safe delivery of a child:
1 Samuel 2:1-10
King James Version (KJV)
2 And Hannah prayed, and said, My heart rejoiceth in the Lord, mine horn is exalted in the Lord: my mouth is enlarged over mine enemies; because I rejoice in thy salvation.
2 There is none holy as the Lord: for there is none beside thee: neither is there any rock like our God.
3 Talk no more so exceeding proudly; let not arrogancy come out of your mouth: for the Lord is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed.
4 The bows of the mighty men are broken, and they that stumbled are girded with strength.
5 They
that were full have hired out themselves for bread; and they that were
hungry ceased: so that the barren hath born seven; and she that hath
many children is waxed feeble.
6 The Lord killeth, and maketh alive: he bringeth down to the grave, and bringeth up.
7 The Lord maketh poor, and maketh rich: he bringeth low, and lifteth up.
8 He
raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from the
dunghill, to set them among princes, and to make them inherit the
throne of glory: for the pillars of the earth are the Lord's, and he hath set the world upon them.
9 He will keep the feet of his saints, and the wicked shall be silent in darkness; for by strength shall no man prevail.
10 The adversaries of the Lord shall be broken to pieces; out of heaven shall he thunder upon them: the Lord shall judge the ends of the earth; and he shall give strength unto his king, and exalt the horn of his anointed.
Births
can be straightforward or they can be a very long and trying process
but one thing is for sure, we will do the right thing, if we listen to
His voice in our hearts and thus trust our gut feeling, as God speaks
also through our body, and not just in words. We only have to stay
open-minded to His multi-layered ways and methods to communicate with
us.
It is very important that a mother is being given
this so very sacred time and spiritual space in the birth process and
the respect and dignity to bring her child into this world in a holy
spirit with all the witnesses around being part of also of this miracle.
And upon the safe delivery we thank God for His gift of life and praise
Him! (By the way, Amram and me have never missed the opportunity upon
every possibility of conception at procreation to give thanks to God and
to pray for peace in the world - just another way of shining in God's
Infinite light's ray - the same that our souls later shone as Jesus
Christ and Mary Magdala even in the awareness of His cross on our shared
marital way.)
