Bravery is Believing in God's Redemption

By Erin Boado

God's Brave Women - Erin's Story

My most vivid memory of the birth of my second son is his first lusty newborn cry. It was the most beautiful sound I had ever heard. It stands as an ebenezer, a stone of remembrance in my mind, of the loving and powerful God I serve. There in the birth pool, I clutched my chubby, healthy baby to my chest as tears poured down my face. Birth is an absolute miracle, a blessing from God.

Unfortunately, birth isn’t always so beautiful, a fact to which I can attest. But it is always a blessing. Birth is raw and excruciating, and women giving birth are brave and powerful, yet vulnerable. In this place where pain, emotion, excitement and joy collide, many women have experiences that leave them feeling traumatized and broken.

My first birth was just such an experience. In my life, being brave has looked like coming to terms with my traumatic birth, seeking help and allowing God to heal and redeem all of my brokenness.

My First Traumatic Birth Experience

Sweet friend, if this resonates with you at all, let me offer you some hope by telling you a little bit about my traumatic first birth experience. After a 27-hour labor, my son was born with a congenital lung and heart condition that required a lengthy NICU stay. I had decided on a natural, unmedicated birth, so following the physical pain and exhaustion of labor and a manual placenta removal, I faced the emotional and psychological pain of not being able to take my baby home. I was devastated and distraught.

After my traumatic birth experience and the overwhelm I felt about caring for a chronically ill child, who was a frequent flyer at the children’s hospital, I didn’t know if I would ever be ready to have another baby. However, when my first son was less than two years old, I unexpectedly became pregnant. At first, I was not at all excited with the news, but God. He had a plan.

God Can Heal Our Most Broken Circumstances