Epidurals, Air Conditioning, and Briar Patches

I once thought natural childbirth was the “holy” way to deliver a child.

Somehow, I was convinced feeling the weight of the curse would somehow give me some supernatural insight into my human condition and God’s grace.

Curse.

Even the word feels heavy; feels lasting; feels inescapable.

Because sin is such a grave transgression against God, we live under a curse.

From the moment Adam and Eve chose to disbelieve in the garden and God prescribed the curse, humanity has been pandering for relief. And God in His great kindness has provided it over and over again.

Genesis 3:21 just moments after the curse was given, God makes the first blood sacrifice to cover for Adam and Eve’s nakedness. Out of the skins of an animal, He clothed them. It was a small taste of relief; a reminder that He had not left them and would continue to provide for them despite their rebellion and the crushing weight of the curse.

As I neared childbirth, countless women asked me if I would deliver naturally or get an epidural. Some with an air of “holier than thou” because they had been able to withstand the pain and ultimately experience the curse. With every conversation I became more nervous, until someone replied with, “Does your husband work in air conditioning?”

There it was, plainly written in 3:19. Work would be hard, and “You will eat bread by the sweat of your brow.” We all laughed.
 

Aren’t we all wired to seek relief from the curse? It’s as if the desire for a Rescuer and Redeemer is ingrained into every curve of our DNA, and God has given us little glimpses of what relief a Rescuer brings. He’s gifted humanity to develop medicines to lessen pain, air condition to make hard work less hard, and shoes to avoid all the thorns that infest the ground. From the beginning, humanity sought a Savior, and God in His great kindness has not only provided small reliefs, but the greatest relief of sin itself through the work of Jesus Christ.

There's no fault in seeking relief from the curse. It's deeply engrained in who we are, as we were made for a purpose - for a Creator. Allow these moments to move you to worship the One who has come and is coming to bring the greatest relief.