Get Naked (A Mature Thought)

I had gone to the mall alone with my two babies...

one in pull-ups
one in diapers

one with a sippy-cup
one with a bottle

both asleep

and strapped safely into their double-stroller

My dilemma?

I had to use the bathroom...
and it could NOT wait until I got home

So I did what I had to do...

I pushed my double stroller into the restroom
entered the stall
pulled my sleeping babies in as close as possible
and proceeded to use the bathroom

...with the door wide open!

Complete strangers walked by, noticing, and no one said a word

I had never imagined that becoming a mother would change my perspective so much, but in that moment, my children's safety was more important than my pride

Mothers do what they have to do...

and several years later, as my cousin prepared for the birth of her first child
I remembered that day

and shared with her my thought,
that for mothers,

perhaps the real purpose of delivery
is to deliver you

from the burden of what other people

say
do
think

because once you're a parent, you can't let those things move you

Your body

changes
grows
stretches beyond recognition

and then

just when you think you've had enough you must find new strength to

release
push and
deliver

that which has grown

And so using the bathroom with the door open is brought into perspective, because after all,

Nobody gives birth fully clothed...

you have to first get naked!

Once to conceive
and again
to deliver

And in that very act
of getting naked

lies the vulnerability
the humility
the gracefulness

that opens the door to intimacy

Our Lord showed us that as He allowed them to

strip Him
torture Him
mock Him

as He willingly bore the shame

to deliver me
to rescue me

because in that moment my safety was more important than His pride

His act of

vulnerability
humility
humanity

opened the door to our intimacy...

And when we fully realize this

we have no other choice but to come to Him

sincerely
respectfully
repent fully

and allow our hearts to get naked before Him

knowing that He

sees it all
flaws and all

and loves us anyway
and has taken away all of that shame

since He...
when He...

decided to first
get naked