How marvelous you are, Oh Lord,
who knit this soul into being,
woven from two cells into a body ready to be born.
As I went to bed this time last year,
I had carried the weight of this life for months,
but not yet looked into these eyes,
heard this cry, filled this stomach.
My own womb was full,
but I didn't know my heart was empty
in a corner only this baby could fill.
Tonight, I go to bed with an empty womb,
but a full heart.
Not wondering if this is the night,
or tomorrow is the day,
or how this baby will unfold from inside my body
into my arms.
Tonight, I go to bed knowing
that this marks the last few hours of unknowing.
Tomorrow I will remember the moment I met
this image bearer face to face,
the child you always intended to share with us,
who reflects a facet of your glory in a way
no one else ever will.
Thank you for the gift of life and the gift of this child.
Help us to carry it well, to point this soul back to you,
the Giver of good gifts.
Grant them
wisdom,
peace,
joy,
strength
that they might be an instrument of your glory.
Thank you for carrying us through that dark night
to the break of morning.
A night in which my body was broken,
bled,
poured out for new life,
in a pale reflection of what you've done for us on the cross.
Let me draw courage from your sacrifice
when the sacrifices of motherhood feel like they might weigh me down
instead of strengthening me and drawing me closer to you.
Amen and Hallelujah.
