Umbilical

I would like to give credit for progress on my spiritual journey to a group of special women in Maryland.   Our local church started a program that set up small, more intimate prayer group meetings in individual homes.  I first took the leap to join one that was in close proximity to my home.  As time went on, due to peoples’ lives changing, I eagerly volunteered to have the meetings in my home.  Every week, this group of wise and spiritual women, both young and aging, would come  knocking on our back door; and upon seeing their smiling faces, my week was so much better!  We studied scripture, read thought provoking books, and prayed together.  Many times, we baked cookies for the local soup kitchen and put Easter baskets together for children in need.  It was always understood (but verbally expressed) that anything discussed was confidential and stayed within our group.  So, if you’re still wondering why I used the word umbilical, its meaning reads, “being a necessary or nurturing link or connection.”  How did this word ever come to me in the first place?  One of my favorite shows to watch is “Call the Midwife,” about the trials and joys of midwifery through the eyes of the local nuns and midwives, set in England post World War II.  During a recent episode, during one of the child births, I suddenly focused in on the umbilical cord, realizing the miracle in that lifeline between mother and child.  The umbilical cord was not an invention by man, but a connection to love.  The connection is nothing short of a miracle that provides oxygenated, nutrient-rich blood to the fetus.  Without it, we have no life.  It was a reminder to me that our prayer group, and other church groups that I’ve been blessed to be a part of, provided me with the lifelines I needed to grow my faith.  It helped me connect and be a connection for others that were hungry to find something so much more important than our daily life challenges.  If you aren’t already familiar with “Call the Midwife”, I hope you’ll check it out on Netflix and experience the stories of these amazing women that brought new life into the world every day, many times under trying circumstances.  Its heartwarming lessons show the powerful way to see God’s design that brought you and me into the world.  And now that we’re here, let’s not forget to continue in that miracle of being a connection – an umbilical – a nurturing link for each other.  God bless every one of you that played an important role in nurturing and growing my connection to our Father!

“You knit me together in my mother’s womb.  I will give thanks to you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.  Your works are wonderful.  My soul knows that very well.”  Psalm 127:3-4