"When a woman is in labor, she is in anguish because her hour has arrived; but when she has given birth to a child, she no longer remembers the pain because of her joy that a child has been born into the world." // John 16:21
I think perhaps this Gospel passage doesn’t apply to all mothers. Some certainly do seem to remember the pain of labor quite well, despite their joy of a child. But it does apply to me. I’ve given birth ten times without medications or interventions. I remember that I experienced pain, but I genuinely don’t remember the pain itself.
My most distinct memory from my first labor was lying there, thinking, I can do this, I will get through this. But I will NEVER do this again. Of course, in high school, I mentally quit the cross-country team in the middle of every race, but always stuck it out in the end. So I’m really not to be trusted on that sort of thing. As soon as Jack was born, any memory of the pain itself dissipated in the experience of the joy of that squishy little baby, and I definitely wanted to do it again.
Jesus’ words to His disciples in today’s Gospel reading make me think about a lovely little children’s book we have called Angel in the Waters. In the book, an unborn baby’s guardian angel assures him that, despite the fear and uncertainty he might feel about the birth process, and his attachment to where he is now, in the womb, he will certainly be glad to have been born. He will be able to experience the world and “mother” in a new and better way. The angel tells the baby that, later, the angel will be with him again, as he makes another journey to another world that will be better again.
Reading this little picture book forever changed the way I think about death. It gives me comfort and hope. This world and the people and places in it are wonderful. But as a Christian, I cannot fear death. I know that the world to come will be so much better, in ways I cannot now imagine. God willing, I will see Jesus, and my heart will rejoice.
Are you facing something or in the middle of a hardship you want to be done with or quit? It will pass eventually, but call upon Jesus to help strengthen you today.
Kendra Tierney Norton is grateful to be a wife, mother, and stepmother. She lives in the wilds of unincorporated Los Angeles County in a big old fixer-upper house with her husband and a varying number of their combined fourteen children, plus one fish, two cats, and twenty chickens. She likes to say that her goal is keeping Catholicism weird. To that end, she is the author of books including the Catholic All Year Compendium: Liturgical Living for Real Life with Ignatius Press and O Come, Emmanuel: Advent Reflections on the Jesse Tree for Families with Emmaus Road Publishing, the creator of the TV series Catholic All Year At Home on FORMED, and the CEO of Catholic All Year, an apostolate dedicated to helping parents live out their Catholic faith and pass it along to their children.
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