I’m learning a lot about what it means to be pregnant by watching my pregnant wife. Pregnancy is the developmental period that precedes birth. Obviously, my wife is pregnant with a child that is growing inside her and soon (in July) she will give birth to that child. There is a type of pregnancy that we all experience: where a notion, an idea, a vision, or desire takes root in our hearts, impregnates us, grows inside of us, and eventually we give birth to it. Pregnancy is the tension between conception and actualization. Right now my wife is just over three months pregnant. She’s eating a lot more than she was a few months ago (which is good … she’s eating for two, right?). Her belly has grown a little. (Lesson #1: It is not good to call your pregnant wife by the following nickname: “fatty”.) My wife said early on in her pregnancy: “I thought I knew what the word ‘hungry’ meant, and then I got pregnant.” My wife’s appetite has morphed several times during the past few months. She went from craving sweets to craving primarily meat. The other day she wanted Caesar salad for breakfast. Seriously? Here are few things I’ve observed about pregnancy and appetites:
1. Your pregnancy is directly linked to your appetites. It’s obvious that what is going on in my wife’s body is causing her appetites to change. Our appetites are litmus tests for what we’re pregnant with. If your appetite for the Lord is growing, then it is pretty safe to say that the notion you are pregnant with finds it’s origin with Him.
2. Pregnancy amplifies your appetites. Sin is the result of misaligned appetites. If you struggle with a particular sin, you’re struggling with an appetite. Pregnancy will amplify the appetites you have. If you have unaddressed appetites, they will surface during a time of pregnancy.
3. When you’re pregnant, you need to feed the baby. When you embrace the notion that God is moving in your life, you will need to do the necessary work to support the healthy development of that beautiful movement that has been conceived. I believe during these fragile developmental periods, dreams and visions can be crushed when we don’t feed them. Spend time with Jesus: pray, study & read the scriptures, meditate, and let God, himself, feed the baby.