I’m listening to Ms. Lauryn Hill. She has a song called “To Zion”. It’s about the birth of her son. She talks about the things people said about her decision to have the baby. How people told her it would be bad for her career. But then she comes in with the chorus to talk about her joy in having Zion. The next thing she says is actually why I wanted to write this article. She says “i want to thank you for choosing me.” That thought hits me like a ton of bricks because of its honesty. No parent chooses their child and no child chooses their parents. It can be hard for anyone to see childbirth as being chosen but I believe its a beautiful idea. I can’t help but think about my own mom while listening to this song.
She has told me before how much she loved me and thought of me while I was in her belly. That's just crazy to love someone that you’ve never met but there it is. So I wanted to write an article to talk about mom’s but also about the decision to love things you have no control over. Right now the internet is going crazy over baby Yoda. There is a show on the Disney Plus streaming service called the Mandalorian. A little green baby with big pointy ears is causing a meme frenzy. I honestly enjoy it. The show is about a guy that does bounty hunting but in the process, he saves a child that he was supposed to turn into his employers. The plot has been used a lot but the show adds really complex overtones and interesting characters that keep the story going. The one thing that carries the show is baby Yoda. He is a complete mystery as his race has been extinct for hundreds of years.
This is what makes the show good and what makes the mystery of moms and babies amazing. Everything is unexpected. Part of the joy of anything is in looking for the unexpected. This life we live can be very boring in the day to day routine. Part of experiencing joy in the everyday hustle of life is looking forward to the unexpected things. Most people ignore the things that could bring joy because they ignore the things they don’t expect. They see them as weird or not worth their time. However, a mom experiences a certain type of joy due to the unexpected nature of that child. When we treat the unexpected things with grace we find that joy is the natural expression of a God-filled life.
Ms. Laurn Hill talked about being chosen. When Moses is asked by God to speak on his behalf he is around 80 years old. When Abraham was used by God to start the faith culture we have now he was around 90 years old. The reason I’m telling you this is their stories don’t start at that point when they were doing what they were chosen for. Their stories talk about how they were born or where they came from. My point is being chosen takes time. 9 months for a child and all the way to the end of your life when you are chosen by God. The process of being chosen takes time. We live in a microwave culture where everything is instantaneous. But the growth of a child and the growth of our purpose that comes from God takes time.
God chose you to be born to your parents and chose your parents for you. More importantly, God chose you to do something with your life as well. If you look at the Bible as a whole what you see is God choosing people to do different things. Sometimes those things are really important and sometimes they are just one thing. For example, Peter who was a fisherman who became the leader of the first church after Jesus resurrected from the dead. However John the Baptist was just a messenger to point to Jesus. John the Baptist would have been a better leader in today’s world compared to Peter, at least by resume, but God’s plan doesn’t depend on human standards. Either way, the point of every life listed in the Bible is they all had a purpose from God.
This is the same point with every baby that's born and every momma. Whether she realizes it or not they both are a part of the plan of God. It’s why I love my momma. Before I knew how to have a joy for her and life, she had joy in me while I was growing. My mom’s thankfulness for the unexpected things that I brought into her world is a reflection of how anyone in a relationship with God grows. When we are thankful for the good things, bad things, nothing, and everything we get an understanding of how God sees us. I remember one day I was reviewing my life and thinking about everything I’ve done. I didn’t see anything that excited me. It was pretty depressing actually. I don’t have any records, no talents, no abilities. I’ve had maybe two girlfriends, so technically I’m as nourishing in a relationship as a cactus. I hardly remember to talk to my friends. I have only paid off two credit cards in my lifetime.
However, I read a bible verse that day as well. Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you,” says the LORD. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. Jer 29:12 In those days when you pray, I will listen. Jer 29:13 If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me. This is the point of being loved, chosen and unexpected. To find the one who chose you first. This is God. He not only is aware of you but he is looking for you to look for Him. This is why I love my mom. God chose me to love her. Through her mistakes and faults, this little boy will spend his life loving this woman. Not because she is a great mom (she is btw) but because she is chosen and so was I. I love you, mom.
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