Sacrifices

Today I was at the Physical Therapist... getting my hips/pelvis/whatever-else-was-out Re-Aligned. I feel much more "even" now... :) and hopefully things will be less painful for the duration of this pregnancy if I just maintain with some exercises.

But anyway, the secretary says to me, "Oh this is your 3rd?" I said, "No, my 4th." Of course she proceeded to ask me my children's ages and when I told her (5 yrs, 3 yrs, almost 2 yrs) I heard about how "full my hands are" (this is a daily comment we Mom's hear folks, just FYI, find a new comment.)

I smiled. (I sometimes respond, "Yes, Full of love!!") but I just smiled. She was continuing on saying, "And this one is already giving you trouble?" I responded, "OR... my BODY is giving me trouble. This is a very small sacrifice for a very big gift. It's worth it."

Sacrifice...is not something our modern culture understands.

Sacrifice... what do you think of when you hear that word? When I stop and think about it, there are a lot, ok a LOT of small sacrifices, some large, that we make as parents for our children...that we make as a spouse for our husband/wife, that we make to help out friends and family... but also I think about the Ultimate Sacrifice.

Christ DIED on the CROSS for me. He was crucified for me. If HE asks me to have a 4th child... to have an 8th child...for that matter, despite the pain it may temporarily cause on my body, who am I to deny Him?

Once the pregnancy is over, I go back to feeling well again. Sure, if I'm completely and totally honest, I'd love to never be pregnant again. Unlike some women I know... ahem... you know who you are ;) I don't dance around and hop on and off the couch like a happy rabbit at 9 months pregnant and manage to just love every  minute of it. I do not like being pregnant. It is a sacrifice for me. Basically all 9 months are. (There are parts I like, obviously, feeling a new life moving around inside me!) but I think this sacrifice of uncomfortable pregnancies... especially compared to the ULTIMATE Sacrifice is so very worth it. It's such a small thing for the Lord to ask of me. There are people out there who are REALLY suffering... I look at the daily ins and outs and pains of pregnancy as a way to "offer up" that pain in prayer and sacrifice for the much more difficult challenges they are going through.

The Catechism of the Catholic church (ahhh how much do I love the wisdom of Christ's church here on earth!?) states that idea of the Gospels and Jesus' words where it says...
"The sacrifice of Jesus "for the sins of the whole world"⁴¹⁶expresses his loving communion with the Father. "The Father loves me, because I lay down my life", said the Lord, "[for] I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father."⁴¹⁷

It seems only natural then... if we are, as Christians, to be imitators of Christ... to lay down our lives (entirely, if needed) "so that the world may know that I love the Father." If being pregnant, if giving life, if allowing the Lord to work miracles through my body, (however painful) is what He asks of me.. seems the only answer to me, is to say Yes.