When a woman is in labor, there’s pain during delivery and all she wants is that thang out of her and quick, playa!
Yet, here’s what I learned. You can’t push simply because you want it out. In order to reduce the decelerations of the baby’s heartbeat and to promote a more safer delivery, it’s better for mother to push when she feels the urge.
What are you getting at Pastor?
Some of y’all are in spiritual labor and the pain is heightened, contractions coming every 3 to 5 minutes, lasting 45-90 seconds; you’re crying, snotting, screaming and acting silly because you want this thang out. However, you need to wait. Why? Well, pushing is most effective when the mother feels the urge to push.
Some of you are pushing and your cervix ain’t even dilated yet or the “baby” (fruit of your labor) is crowning and the perineum needs to stretch gradually. Keep on pushing when it’s not time, and you might tear some stuff up that has the potential to cause more pain that could have been avoided.
I know you’re ready for it, get into position, but push when you feel the urge, not for urgency.
“Shall I bring to the time of birth, and not cause delivery?” says the LORD. “Shall I who cause delivery shut up the womb? ” says your God.” — Isaiah 66:9 NKJV
Imagine waking up one day different. You can’t explain it, but something just isn’t right. One minute you’re happy and the next sad. One moment you’re loving and the next angry. The voices you hear, the different moods you experience and the sad looks in people’s eyes makes you wonder if you’re losing your mind.
For Savannah Graft, she’s been dealt some heavy blows in her lifetime, but has managed to overcome them. Now, happily married to her husband, Pastor Shane Graft, mother to Kennedi and Baby Shane, First Lady of Victory Temple and the owner of SG Graphics; life is good.
Until one morning, she woke up different. She isn’t herself, yet she can’t see it. She recognizes something is wrong, but she can’t explain it. All she knows and continually says, I’m not crazy. Truthfully, she isn’t she’s depressed.
In this book, we begin a conversation to peel back the layers of postpartum depression, in the home and in the church. Although this is a work of fiction, every day somebody is dealing with the effects of mental illness and depression. In the church they tell you to pray and fast more. In the world, people say you’ll be okay, but how do they know.
Read Savannah’s story to see if she finally admits to needing help or will she continually hide from fear of herself, judgment or ridicule.
You will get tired! I don’t mean physically and mentally, but spiritually. See, if you’re a true Christian, a blood bought believer, righteously redeemed reaper, a shouting sower, a Heaven bound helper who doesn’t mind dipping into the valleys and shouting from the mountaintops that God is your choice; then you will get tired on this Christian journey. Doing the work of the Lord is longsuffering, but it’s what you’ve been called to do. However, stop saying you’ll sleep when you’re dead. Baby, there’s a blessing in resting.
In Mark 6:31, after the disciples came back to Jesus to tell Him all they’d done, He didn’t say good, now get back to work. He told them, “Let’s go off by ourselves to a quiet place and rest awhile.” He said this because He knew there was still work ahead. In fact, they didn’t even get the chance to rest. Bible says, folk saw them leaving and followed and Jesus had to end up feeding them with two sardines and five pieces of hot water cornbread. Nonetheless, Jesus knew the value in resting.
Giving our body rest revitalizes us with strength we didn’t even know we were lacking. When you allow your brain to rest, it’s giving it time to rejuvenate itself and also time not to cause further damage. I don’t know if you know this or not but being tired and burned out leaves room for you to make mistakes that could be detrimental to you and your well being.
Some of you, you need to rest. Maybe the mistakes you’re making is because you’re tired. Stop trying to do everything. Quit acting like you can never say no, take a day off, go on vacation or whatever. Baby, you better rest. I know you’re trying to build a business, get out of debt, grow your brand, etc. but what good is it if you’re dead? Yeah, we’ll remember you but um, dats it! Rest so you can be the best you, your mind can be clearer to hear from God, your ideas are fresh, and you’re re-energized to keep pressing.
Bible shares in Exodus 20:8-11, “Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. You have six days each week for your ordinary work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath day of rest dedicated to the Lord your God. On that day no one in your household may do any work. This includes you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, your livestock, and any foreigners living among you. For in six days the Lord made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and everything in them; but on the seventh day he rested. That is why the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart as holy.”
Question, when is your Sabbath? In other words, when do you rest, reset and recharge? If God can do it, certainly you can too.
I thought I’ll share this again for somebody … This is for somebody who is being pulled on and you don’t know why. This is for somebody who is being stretched and it doesn’t make sense. All around you, it feels as if hell is breaking loose and no amount of praying has halted your storm. You are being hurt with words and actions and you haven’t done anything to anybody. You keep being sent into dark places and God hasn’t turned on your nighttime vision so fear is starting to set in. Things are happening, you cannot control and crying seems to be all you have the strength to do. Well beloved, stretch out! What are you stretching out? The parts of you that are ready to receive from the Lord.
When God stretched out, He created everything from nothing. In Genesis, Abraham stretched out his hand to slay Isaac – his obedience was being tested. Whenever Moses stretched out his hand, things God promised happened. The plagues happened and the Red Sea parted because Moses stretched out. In Joshua 8:18, God commanded Joshua to stretch out his hand and He’d give him Ai and defeated his enemies. When Elijah stretched out over a child, man deemed dead, the child lived again. In Matthew 12, when the man with a withered hand stretched it out, it was made healthy. When Peter’s doubt caused him to sink, Jesus stretched out His hand and grabbed him.
Beloved, stretch out. See, when you stretch out you keep your muscles from being fatigued. When you stretch out, you keep mobility in the parts of you God has need of. When you stretch out, things God promised, happens. And sometimes, your stretching will not just involve your hands, but it’ll be you, stretched out before the altar of God. Yea, you may find yourself in a place that only stretching out can make right. Yea, you may come face to face with some stuff that only stretching out can get rid of. You might just have to toil with some stuff, for a few days that only stretching out will give you the strength to handle.
So, will you stretch out, this time? Will you take your pains and burdens and stretch out, this time? Will you not give up and just stretch out, this time? Stretch out on God’s word. Stretch out on God’s promise to never leave or forsake us. Stretch out and trust God. Instead of trying to fix it yourself, stretch out. Instead of trying to handle it on your own, stretch out. Instead of relying on man, stretch out. Stretch out on God’s word. Will you? Will you stretch out?
Bible Study returns tonight and I’m asking the question … are you on your post? Are you in position, observant, steadfast and trustworthy? Are you doing your part for the kingdom?
Join me and tell a friend or 5! We will be streaming live from the Macedonia MB Church’s page at 7 PM CST!
Lakisha, the Author 