Jesus Christ and Motherhood
by Cherie
Logan
"In sorrow shalt thou bring forth children." Was the Lord cursing us for disobedience? Was he warning us of our mortal condition? I believe he was blessing us. "Those who have ears to hear, let them hear." If we believe in a loving Father it must follow that his initial recorded conversation to the mortal woman be one of love and blessing. As women, we have the greatest influence upon our children in their childhood. We must be able to identify with the Lord and His love and sacrifice so that we can instill in our own little ones those anchors that will help them remember Him. The reason for travail in childbirth and mothering isn't a punishment at all. It is a blessing given to bring about comprehension of the travail Christ underwent as he gave birth to our eternal lives.
In my role as a mother I have received specific lessons of unity with Christ, moments of drawing closer to Him, and enlightenment of my connecting, identifying friendship with my Savior.
My first lesson was when I realized the true nature of childbirth in mortality. I do not believe that the pain of childbirth will be present in the Eternities. It is a mortal condition. I gave birth to one daughter with only five contractions. The angels gently placed her in my arms. It is possible to bring about life without agony. In our Millenial Earth or in our Celestial homes such wonderful births await us. Today each of us will experience some portion of walking that valley of the shadow of death as we bring mortal life to our children. In our future, the need for that experience will no longer be a part of our reality.
Jesus Christ is our brother. He is also the father of all those who covenant with him. He is a unique father in that he is the only father who has ever given birth. A mother in travail reaches the point of wanting it done, over with, and if possible not happening at all! Our Lord reached the point in physical and emotional agony and pleaded for the cup to pass from him. Nevertheless, just as the mother pushes onward and gives birth to a mortal life, Christ was strenghtened and gave birth to our eternal lives. Our husbands watch and support us, Heavenly Father watched and sent angels to support Christ. But we, mothers and Lord, had to do the birthings. Nobody else could perform Christ's atonement. Nobody but a mother ever really births a baby. Christ's mission of bringing about our eternal life and our mission of providing mortal life walk a very similar path. Yes. We teach our children about Christ because we have become intimately identified with Him and understand at a deep, intuitive level, His joy and sacrifice.
The second lesson as a mother that connected me to the Lord was when our son, Marshall, was in intensive care following his premature birth. I wanted so much to nurse my little baby. My milk came in and I was pumping and freezing for the future day when he would be well enough to take my milk. I cried in pain as my breasts filled and there was no baby to cuddle and nurse. As tears steaked my face, I wondered if it was like this for the Savior. I had questioned before how and why he had atoned for all men even though many would never utilize that atonement. Now, I had milk for a baby who could not use it. With every fiber of my being I wanted to give the sweet nutrition to my beloved son and yet he couldn't take even a drop. I began to understand our Lord making atonement for us all in heart-rending committment only to see many turn from his gift. I was in pain from the milk left untouched. I wondered if He also felt pain from the gift he gave being left untouched.
Again, I learned of Jesus Christ when that little son was nearing death. Neil and I sat with him those final six hours with family gathered around us. We smiled and talked of how we met and married. Finally, somebody put Marshall into my arms for the third and last time of his mortal life. Somehow, everybody in the room simply faded away. The entire reality of existance was the little circle of Neil holding me while I held our son. Too soon, much, much too soon, Neil whispered, "He's gone, our son is gone." My son left our loving and protective arms. My sweet Savior left with an excruciating cry of isolation. "My God, why hast thou forsaken me!" and then, "It is finished." No loving circle, no gentle whispers of goodbye, alone...for me.
Lessons followed lessons until I lost count. Even unnumbered, their impressions stay forever imbedded in my heart.
One Easter found me holding my newborn Chamrie. She was so healthy and perfect. Ben was 18 months old, a slender, tiny boy barely larger than his sister. He had been 10 weeks premature and weight gain was slow for him. Chamrie arrived weighing about eight and a half pounds. I was able to throw away the bottle I had used with Ben for the previous four months and nursed my tiny son right along with her. She shared the nutrition meant for her drop by drop with her brother. Over the years her older brother seemed almost to wait his development until she could join him in each step. At times it seemed that he waited for her to show the way. Certainly he waited his speech until she spoke. He waited to climb the bookcase until she climbed it. He waited and she showed the way over and over.
Never an indication that he resented being led by another, younger sibling. There was never a boasting that she was the leader of the elder. It was a perfect dance that gave one a sense of it having been agreed upon long before Chamrie's arrival into our home.
Jesus Christ, our eldest brother, was born in the middle of time. There were those who were older than he and those who would follow after. Yet, there were none older than Christ. The ancient patriarchs and prophets looked forward to his birth. For some of them, he would even be called a son of their loins. The ancient ones had to wait for him to lead the way. They waited and then they followed. Today, we still wait on him to lead us. Even though his birth and death and resurrection are far behind us.
Another waiting demands our attention. We await his arrival in glory. That waiting is not the passive one of near sleep and boredom void of goals and development. Rather, that waiting is one of a nesting mother. Preparing our environment, organizing, cleaning, throwing out all fluff that will interfere with his great arrival. The closer that moment comes the less we are able to move out into the world and the more furious our inner movement becomes as we prepare.
The Second Coming has often been likened to a woman about to deliver a baby. She knows that the time is near but not the moment. As I was reaching the end of my pregnancy with Chamrie, I was completely aware the this minute I was not in labor but in a small sixty seconds the labor could begin. And on anxious and excited pains of anticipation I nested for those last few weeks. Chamrie was born and Easter arrived at nearly the same time. All that nervous anticipation followed by the peaceful, quiet cuddling of our new baby.
What a
collective sigh of relief we all shall give the day after the
return of our Lord
and the resurrection of our loved ones! A moment of
celebration and a moment of quiet awe. The aftermaths of a joyous
and healthy birth.
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