Закрываю одну главу жизни: грудное вскармливаине

Двенадцать лет.  Да. То же самое время, что и от первого до двенадцатого классов (в нашей Американской системе школы). За исключением нескольких месяцев, я кормила грудью двенадцать лет подряд.

Я подумала, и решила эмоциональный тон, который я застрою в конце этой главы моей жизни– хочу быть благодарным и радоваться. (Могу и плакать и грустить, но почему не празновать, как Авраам праздновал отлучение Исаак в Бытие 21:8 “Дитя выросло и отнято от груди; и Авраам сделал большой пир в тот день, когда Исаак отнят был от груди”.)

Мне действительно понравилось этот период жизни. Ну, я не люблю все, что касается грудного вскармливания – это иногда скучно для моего тела (сидеть или лежать, когда я этого не хочу), и боролась иногда с неудобными телесными искажениями (ха ха), и с постоянными просьбами из грудного ребенка, и т. д.

НО, Большая Картинка Жизни: я благодарна, что я так много кормила грудью. Благословения перевешивают минусы. Это легкий и относительно восхитительный способ связаться с моими детьми, служить им эмоционально, успокаивать их, и т. Д. Мне нравится, как Бог разработал грудное вскармливание. Как и во всех Божьих замыслах, это У.ДИ.ВИ.ТЕЛЬ.НО!

Ни одно из моих слов не может передать то, что в моем сердце об этих 12 лет грудного вскармливания, и все это означало для нашей семьи, но я хотела что-то написать. На памать.

Я навероно больше об этом напишу на будущем, когда у меня есть что-то глубже сказать, но сейчас я просто иду через этот переход.

Twelve years, ya’ll. The same time as going from First through Twelfth grades. With the exception of a few months, I’ve been breastfeeding for twelve years straight.

In deciding the emotional tone I’ll take at the ending of this chapter of my life, I’ve decided to be thankful and to rejoice.

I’ve actually really enjoyed it. Well, I don’t love everything about breastfeeding– it’s kind of boring for my body (to sit or lay when I don’t want to) and I struggle with the bodily contortions required, the persistent asking of various kids, etc.

BUT, Big Picture, I’m thankful I’ve breastfed so much. The blessings way outweigh the minuses. It’s an easy and relatively delightful way to connect with my kids, serve them emotionally, comfort them, etc. I love how God designed breastfeeding. As with all God’s designs, it’s AY.MAY.ZING.

None of my words can convey my heart about 12 years of breastfeeding and all it’s meant to our family, but I wanted to put something down. For the record.

I may come back to this when I have something profound to say, but for now, I’m just walking through the transition.

My qualification for writing this post is that I’ve been breastfeeding for twelve years now, and am still going. Other moms have breastfed longer, though, so they probably know more. I’ve also breastfed tor long periods of time. Over a year, four years, three years, and now three years plus. (We have four children.)

In the Old Testament, God showed Himself often through types and symbols. For me, breastfeeding has become a living type or symbolic act of one way God wants us to understand Him and His heart towards us.

The longer I live, the more I see how God communicates Himself to us in daily, routine things. Before, I used to look for certain, special, rare experiences. Now, I’m able to see Him opening Himself to us in the ordinary and all-around.

Here are a few ways I’ve come to “see” God in breastfeeding.

Think about God’s design: A mother opens her arms, opens one of her most private, sensitive places, lays a baby next to her heart, holds him there, and gives him life sustenance–physical and emotional sustenance.

Physical and emotional filling of that baby’s stomach and heart.

Warmth radiates from her. Pleasurable hormones in her, and in her baby fire away.

It brings tears to my eyes, realizing how God does this for us. He opens his arms, pulls us to his heart, warms us, and gives us life.

I just painted an overwhelmingly amazing picture of breastfeeding to ponder. But to tell you the truth, breastfeeding showed me my own selfishness and this is where it became a discipline.

God nurtures us generously. Generously! Freely. He pulls us into Himself. He gives of himself, his love, care, time, attention.

But me? I had to struggle and train myself to give myself to my babies that way. Breastfeeding is so personal, so invasive, so uncomfortable in certain ways (the positions, time it takes, the lack of sleep as my babies get older. When they’re younger, I can sleep while they breastfeed, but when they’re older, I can’t.)

It’s so demanding!

And isn’t it easier for God? He’s infinite– He can give attention to me while at the same time “carrying on” with the entire universe. Breastfeeidng is a fairly all-exclusive activity for me. (Well, I can read, drink, sleep, sometimes eat, have screen time, now that I think about it.)

But you know, God doesn’t have to take such detailed attention with me either. He didn’t have to make himself uncomfortable to live inside me by his Spirit. He didn’t have to put himself out to that extent now, did he?

But he did, and he does. It’s His nature to do so! So, can I practice His nature until it becomes my nature? Can I also choose, like God has chosen, to draw my baby near to me and give out to that personal extent?

…. Those are a few of the things I’ve pondered as I’ve submitted myself to the discipline of breastfeeding for over a decade now. <3