Why I’m Not Mad at Eve…(Anymore)

There I lay, utterly exhausted from surgery, holding it together with a baby at each side. I’d done this before--given birth, that is. This wasn’t anything novel for a second time-twin mom. But, as most mothers will tell you, I’d conveniently forgotten the labor (no pun intended) of the first 48 hours after birth. The feeling rivals receiving an open flesh wound and then--moments later--being asked (loudly and desperately) to perform the difficult task of feeding two humans at once...with your own body.

No matter who you are, or your birth experience…it ain’t pretty. And it ain’t easy. 

Men,

Take a moment to thank the women in your life.

I’ll wait…No, seriously. I’ll wait...

Just as soon as I brought them into the world, I couldn’t help but gawk and stare at the angelic little babies that lay at my side. Opal, my first princess. And Milo, yet another prince in our wild castle. Despite the pain, the discomfort, the crazy emotions (brought to you by hormones), the exhaustion and the absolute uncertainty of what would happen in the next moment… I glanced heavenward and thanked God for the opportunity to protect, love, & sustain them.

And friends, I wonder if that’s a small glimpse into how Jesus felt about us on Calvary.

Let me back up...

I’ve always blamed Eve for eating that apple (or dragon fruit or pomegranate or jackfruit…honestly the Bible doesn’t specify) and bringing the pains of childbirth upon us all. I always wonder- without the fall of man, was childbirth supposed to be EASY and maybe even enjoyable? Eve, how COULD you, sis? You know how many more babies we’d all have? I realize that’s a ridiculous statement given that I now have 4 kids, but you get the picture.

But as much as I want to point the finger at Eve, I have to look to my own sinful heart and realize that Eve was simply the first, but she wouldn’t be the last. And now, birth is a battlefield for moms everywhere...Yay! 

“For we ALL have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.”

Romans always humbles me with its one-liners. And because of this, we are ALL responsible for Sin’s grasp on this world. So the pains of childbirth persist. 

However, if you are a parent--and especially if you are a mom--it’s pretty clear that pain isn’t the only outcome of bringing a child into this world. There is a love so deep and profound that emerges from within you…a love you didn’t know you were capable of. A love that defies pain and makes every sacrifice worth it. A love that rivals death and bridges our understanding of what God did to reconcile us back to Himself. 

And suddenly, I realize that the RESULT of Eve’s sin--the pain of childbirth--is actually an illustration to give us a glimpse of Jesus’s feelings on Calvary. 

So perhaps, in the isolation and loneliness of those first 48 hours after birth, even THERE Jesus can meet us.

He lay, utterly exhausted from the whips, lashes, and beatings, holding it together with a nail in each hand. He’d done this before- bring hope to the hopeless- this wasn’t anything novel for the Savior of the world. It wasn’t pretty. It wasn’t easy.

But, as Hebrews 12:2 declares,

“...for the joy set before Him, He endured the cross, scorning its shame and sat down at the right hand of the Father.” 

For the JOY set before Him. The joy of protecting, loving, and sustaining His children by reconciling them back to Himself…there is nothing He would not endure. Jesus GETS it. He GETS it. Notably to a greater degree than I or any mom will ever understand.

I will never know the weight of His true sacrifice, but in my weakest moments in a hospital bed, I know that Jesus knows the weight of mine. 

So take heart, parents. The beauty of our pain is that Jesus empathizes with us and walks alongside us as we navigate bringing little humans into this crazy world. Hang in there. We will be okay. 

I’m still not a fan of Eve’s fruit consumption in the Garden. But, given the visual it’s created of God’s love, I guess I can’t be too mad at her anymore.

Love,

Cara