With John's hand. Day one

If you’ve ever given birth, you know that stage just before you hit transition when you come to the firm conclusion that all future children shall be adopted. That is usually the moment when I looked at my husband and said, “I’ve changed my mind. I don’t want to do this.”

He was always really helpful right then. “Too bad, Baby,” he would say. “You’re committed.” (After I shot him the death glare for that bit of humor, he always managed to say exactly the right thing to get me back in control. Then he would pray, and within minutes, we had a baby!)

Childbirth isn’t the only time I’ve felt that way, either. I’m in the “I can’t do it stage” of a few writing projects and a couple of business issues and some plain-old-life stuff right now. But I keep hearing a phrase from the Book of Acts.

As the time of the promise drew near…

A promise draws near! So hopeful, so comforting. The thing is, I know what the rest of that story says. Steven is telling the entire history of the Jewish people, and he has just reached the place where a ruler rises up who never knew Joseph. Slowly, the place of refuge in Egypt becomes a place of slavery for the descendants of Abraham. Just as the time of the promise for a nation from his loins drew near, things get waaaaaaaay worse.

And that is the part that comforts me. Things are getting worse? Oh, the promise must be drawing near! The pain is stealing my breath? Oh, the baby is about to be born.

I don’t know about you, but those thoughts help me. Of course, promises in the Bible had a way of taking centuries to arrive, but that’s another story. For today, I’m just holding onto the drawing near part. This painful, confusing, scary time is simply transition. The promise is drawing near.

All I have to do is keep breathing.