Life Forms

Posted by Andrea

Read Psalm 139


Pregnancy does strange things to the emotions. A million worries consume the mind. Will the nursery be ready? Will I get a chance to wash and fold all those tiny blue clothes? What if the eldest doesn’t like him? Will he be healthy? And the kicker—will he be ugly?


It is a fear common among hormonally deranged (pregnant) women. Perhaps it’s our way of coping with all the stuff that could really be wrong. Or maybe some of us are just really shallow. We all know that all mothers think their babies are beautiful. But I didn’t be the one that people just nodded and said, “what a…um…sweet baby!” without knowing exactly what they meant. I was going to be objective.




I experienced this same worry with my firstborn. Those ultrasound pictures, while amazing, were a little creepy too. He looked just like Skeletor in a few of those pictures. How was I going to scrapbook that? I told myself over and over that it wouldn’t matter what he looked like, but deep inside, I knew the truth. It was all that mattered. (Like I said, hormonally deranged).


When they brought me my firstborn, fresh from the womb, I took it all in very objectively. I noticed his purple skin, his wrinkles, the white spots on his face, the flat nose, the squinty eyes… He was screaming with all the lung capacity he could. He was the most beautiful thing I had ever laid eyes on. The moment I held that tiny, squalling, soft bundle of boy, I knew I would gladly lay my life down for that child.


On the other side of pregnancy, I wonder what is so spectacularly beautiful about a newborn. It’s certainly not the way he looks. It’s not what he can offer. It’s not his potential. It’s not his charisma.


A baby is equal parts science and miracle. And no matter how he looks or acts, he is perfect because he is yours.


In the beginning, God created. He created baboons, hyenas, Venus fly traps, mosquitoes, onions, French poodles, and those plants that look like hot dogs. Maybe God made some of that stuff just to show us he has a sense of humor. But maybe he loves it because he made it and it’s part of himself. Our Creator spoke the world into existence and then said it was good. The beautiful things, the ugly things. From parasites to redwoods from viruses to volcanoes. They are good because he made them.


On those days you’re wearing vomit instead of makeup; the days you pay bills instead of doing your hair, remember who made you. Remember that when your Father sees you, he is so overcome, he would do anything for you. He would start the world over so you could live in peace. He would make the sun stand still so you could experience victory. He would bend the laws of nature to give you the desires of your heart. We haven’t done anything to deserve it, but he loves us. We’re all ugly, useless, ungrateful lumps, but in the arms of the creator, you are cherished completely.