Stretch Marks

It's hard not to think about the various things related to pregnancy, life, birth and the like when you are expecting a baby. The evidence of the little one is very noticeable these days.

Stretch marks are a consequence of pregnancy. It's something women hate and think are quite ugly. It is a constant reminder, even after the birth, of what this child did to your body. I remember quite clearly when they first appeared with our first child. Aimee was about 7 and a half months along. And to that point there was not one mark on her body. We were getting ready for the day and Aimee gasped. She said "what is this?!?" All at once her body had revolted and there were stretch marks. It was traumatic. No, seriously, it really was.

So eight years later, we have the constant reminder of this first child and what he did to Aimee's body while he was developing.

Over the last seven years God has been birthing something in us. We visited the Czech Republic in 2001 and the relationship began. In 2006, God conceived in us the idea that we could live there and work among the Czech people. So two years later, we are in the middle of this gestational period and awaiting the birth of this new thing.

And I have wondered, what are the stretch marks that will be evident in our lives from this period of growth before the birth? What will be the lasting evidences of this new life that is forming? All I know is that recently I have found myself gasping and wondering what this is that has appeared. I believe they are stretch marks. They seem ugly to me. But they are the evidence of a life that God has created and is bringing into existence.

I wonder if we have been viewing stretch marks with the wrong mindset. Perhaps they are there as a reminder, not as a consequence. Maybe they are there for all to see that life has been conceived, it grew, and was born. Maybe stretch marks are a good thing after all.