Having a Baby

I remember it like it was yesterday. I was at the end of my first pregnancy, and filling in for the main sportscaster at the television station where I worked. I had one last show to do, and if the baby came after that, it was fine. My husband and I decided to grab some Mexican food in between shows, but I started feeling funny. The baby inside me was extremely active. My stomach was tightening up, and suddenly, the enchiladas didn’t taste good anymore. I was determined to make it through the last assignment, but when I didn’t feel any better, we decided to check it out at the hospital. I kept thinking, This is two weeks before my due date. I couldn’t be in labor!

But I was having contractions.

Two minutes apart.

When the doctor broke my water, I knew there was no turning back.

The baby was on his way.

Babies don’t have to be in human form. They can be:

Large projects.

An impending surgery.

A dreaded encounter.

Do you have a baby coming?

I thought of this analogy, as a Global Media Summit, that I am involved in, is only a couple of days away. It feels like I am in the final stages of labor. Co-leading the Media Seminars, there are many moving parts, and now last minute questions from participants.

Will all the seminars run smoothly?

Will everyone be happy?

Will the content be interesting?

If I’m not careful, I can be hyper-focused on the baby about to be birthed.

What about you? Is your “baby” on your mind 24/7?

Is it making you anxious?

God never intended for us to carry the baby alone.

He is there to hold our hand through labor, and to maneuver us through the delivery.

But we have to stop, and ask him for his help.

Philippians 4:6-7 says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

How do we do that?

How do we hand the baby over to God?

I believe the next passage in Philippians 4 provides the answer.

“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things” (Philippians 4:8).

That’s it!

Instead of worrying about what will go wrong, we need to praise God, in advance, for what he’s going to do.

Instead of getting bogged down in details, thank God he is ordering your steps.

When we don’t know what to say, trust God to give us the words.

He’s got the baby.

When our son, Kyle William George Worley, was born on July 8^th at 6:30 a.m., all the concerns I had flew out the window. The last sportscast I wanted to get through was not important anymore. All I could focus on was the goodness of God in providing this sweet little boy.

It’s always easier after the baby’s born. But before…

We’re anxious.

Worried.

Stressed.

But after we deliver, we relax.

The key is to relax before, and trust that whatever baby is on its way, that God will be there.

In good news, and in bad.

He will comfort, and guide.

He will hold you up, if you’re too weak to stand.

And then you’ll say, “The baby is beautiful,” even before you deliver.