N8tivegirl

Some stories begin in the womb, and others begin in the mind of God.

We were connected before time, before breath,

before I knew your name.*

Bone of My Bone, Flesh of My Flesh

There is a mystery woven into motherhood — a knowing that goes deeper than biology.

We carry our children before we ever see their faces.

We feel them move, share one heartbeat for a time, and somehow we know:

This life was entrusted to me.

I’ve often wondered if our children existed with God before they were given to us — if their souls were already known, already loved, already chosen. And whether, in ways we cannot fully understand, we were chosen for them too.

Scripture tells us that Jesus existed long before His birth — not just as a promise or prophecy, but eternally.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God,

and the Word was God.” — John 1:1

He was there when the world was spoken into being.

He was the manna in the wilderness, the rock that gave water, the One walking in the fire.

He did not begin at Bethlehem.

He stepped into Bethlehem — into flesh — for love.

And in that mystery, we see something about ourselves and our children:

Life does not begin with a heartbeat.

Life begins in the heart of God.

The Hidden Love in Mary’s Womb

When Jesus was conceived, His heart began to beat in Mary’s body — real, human, fragile.

And yet, that small hidden heart held the love that would one day redeem the world.

A mother carrying the One who created mothers.

Mary held Him, fed Him, soothed Him, taught Him to walk — knowing, even if she could not yet understand, that He did not fully belong to her.

We feel this too:

Our children come through us,

but they belong to God.

A Mother at the Cross

When Jesus was crucified, Mary could not stop it.

She could not shield Him.

She could not take His place.

And yet she stayed.

She did not scream or strike out in anger.

She did not allow the hatred of the moment to flow through her.

She stood — heart breaking — yet faithful.

Sometimes love is not the power to fix.

Sometimes love is the strength to stand.

There are moments when darkness has its hour — when we cannot stop what is breaking our hearts.

But even then, we can refuse to give bitterness back into the world.

We can choose gentleness, compassion, prayer, and quiet strength.

We can learn to stand under the cross.

The Sacrifice and the Question

God, the perfect Father, gave His Son.

Mary, the loving mother, released Him.

And Jesus, the eternal Word, loved us to death — and back into life.

As a mother, I ask myself:

Could I have given so much?

Could I love to the point of losing what I cherish most?

God believed we were worth that sacrifice.

So now the question is not:

Were we worthy?

The question is:

Will we live like we are loved that much?

Reflection Questions

1. What does it mean to you that God knew you before you were born?
2. How have you experienced motherhood (or womanhood) as sacred or spiritual?
3. Where might God be asking you to “stand under the cross” in quiet strength?