The Sacred Mystery of Birth: An Invitation to Awe

There's so much to birth that we need to be in awe of.

In our modern world, birth has become something treated lightly—just another physical phenomenon, a medical event to be managed and controlled. But what if we're missing something profound? What if birth is actually one of the most magnificent privileges we could ever experience?

More Than a Physical Process

When a woman carries a child, she's participating in something that transcends the merely physical. God is knitting together a new human being with an eternal soul. Think about that for a moment. Not just a body, not just biological processes, but a person—someone who will exist forever, someone made in the image of God.

And then comes the utter and unspeakable privilege of being part of God's work in bringing this new person into the world.

This isn't about us. It's about another person. It's about the work of God.

Psalm 139:13-16 “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body.”

We who are miserable sinners get to be part of this magnificent process. Shouldn't we be in awe? Shouldn't we appreciate the magnitude of what's happening?

The Question of Fear

There's so much unnecessary fear surrounding birth in our culture. We're bombarded with messages about everything that could go wrong, all the risks, all the ways our bodies might fail us.

But what if we could jettison that fear and embrace God instead?

The truth is, we're not in control. And that is a blessing! Yet somehow we've turned that beautiful truth into a source of terror. We grasp for control, we make elaborate plans, we try to manage every variable.

But what if our lack of control is actually an invitation? An invitation to turn to God in great and sincere worship. An invitation to trust the One who forms each child in the womb, who knows the number of hairs on our heads, who holds all things together.

What's Missing from Our Preparation

Many childbirth classes focus on techniques, breathing patterns, pain management strategies. These things have their place. But how much do they teach about surrender? About embracing what's happening rather than fighting it? About seeking God in the midst of the experience?

Birth calls us to something deeper than coping mechanisms. It calls us to worship.

Romans 12:1-2 “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God–this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is–his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

Birth is Beautiful

And remember this truth: Birth is beautiful.

I once read an article with a title that captured this perfectly: "Birth is beautiful. It may not be pretty, but it is beautiful."

Yes, there is discomfort. But what on Earth worth pursuing doesn't involve discomfort? Yes, there are bodily fluids and bodily functions. But birth is a miracle—a miracle on Earth that we get to be part of.

The bodily fluids and bodily functions that are involved may not exactly be pretty. But the process of birth is an absolute wonder. Although I have seen literally thousands of births, there is that moment of wonder causes the world to stop. There is that awe-inspiring moment of birth. It's a miracle. It's a work of God. How could we not stop and stand in awe? Whatever is going on, one cannot miss that moment of awe and wonder as a new human being with an eternal soul enters into time.

An Invitation to Wonder

So to every expectant mother reading this: I hope you appreciate the grandeur of what you're participating in. I hope you see beyond the physical to the spiritual reality beneath it.

God is creating someone new. Someone eternal. Someone precious.

And He has chosen you to be part of that work.

May that truth fill you not with fear, but with awe. Not with anxiety, but with worship.

May you embrace the mystery, surrender to the process, and meet God in a new way as you participate in His creative work.

Birth is beautiful. And so is the God who designed it.

(c) Marie Farver RN BSN IBCLC RLC 1.1.2026