CONCEPTION, LABOR, & DELIVERY

In life, and even life itself, most everything is brought into reality by a three part process; conception, labor, and delivery. Yes, we all understand that this is the basic order of how human beings come into this world. There is the conception to begin the process of creation, growth, and development, the labor to bring forth the child when the time is right, and finally when the labor is finished, the child is delivered into the world to begin life outside of the womb. So it is with dreams, goals, ambitions, and visions. There is a period of conception where the idea or image from the thoughts are implanted in our hearts and minds. Over time we add to these visions, dreams, ideas, etc. and figure out the details and how to make it into a reality. In other words, we "develop" them. But, the hard part, the part where most dreams and plans die is during the labor process. Other words for labor are work, toil, effort, or struggle. It takes all of these to bring forth that which has been conceived in you. Just as a baby must stay hidden with the womb if his/her mother until the time is right--so it is with your dreams, goals, apirations, etc. In addition, just as if you try and force a baby to be delivered prematurely, you risk the death and crippling of your goals and those other things planted within your heart. You can't rush them along, you have to wait until the time is right and when it's time to go into labor you have to push and pull with all of your might to bring it forth. Labor is hard. Labor wears you out. Labor, at times, takes everything within you to get the job done. And just when you think that you have given it your all--more is required and you have to dig deep within you to put forth more effort. But when it is finsihed--the results are sweet. Jeses explained this to us in the Gospel of John chapter 16 and verses 20 and 21; "Most assuredly, I say to you that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; and you will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will be turned into joy.A woman, when she is in labor, has sorrow because her hour has come; but as soon as she has given birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world." Isn't that how it is? Once you achieve that goal that seemed so far away, you can barely remember what it took to get it completed. You are not at all concerned with the blood, sweat, and tears it took--you are just relieved that it is over. So, I just want to stop by and tell you that even though your dreams and goals seem so far away, don't lose heart. You are just in labor. Some women deliver a baby fast while others are stuck on labor for hours--but keep pushing. Don't give up. Don't abort your dreams because of discouragement or frustration. Don't abort your dreams because of fear or the fact that others don't believe it can happen. Keep it up. Stay in labor. It may seem like you can't make it or that it's too far off--but God is with you and it is almost over. Deliver this dream, this vision, this aspiration into the world. Bring forth what has been conceived in you long ago. God has promised us to help bring it to pass if we stay strong and stay on our feet; "And let us not grow weary while doing good, for 
in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart." (Galatians 6:9).