My younger sister is a midwife and I have to say she’s brilliant at what she does. She’s naturally caring, so that helps. Although the midwife’s main job is to assist the mother to deliver her baby on the actual day, they also play an important role throughout the journey. They encourage, support and guide mothers throughout the pregnancy, as well as intervene when necessary to offer solutions to any problems.
On delivery day, the mothers can’t see the head coming, but my sister can, so she doesn’t give up on them when they say they’re tired and can’t go on. Her job is to say ‘I can see the head! You’re almost there- one final push!’ She’s helped deliver over 500 babies, but taken none of them home herself, because although she’s relentless in assisting to deliver the babies, they don’t belong to her. You don’t have to be the carrier of the vision to assist in bringing it to pass.
Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. 1 Th. 5:11 (NIV)
In Mark 2:1-12, we see a paralysed man being lifted down through a roof by some men to meet Jesus. The paralysed man may have expressed a desire to get to Jesus, but he wasn’t going to get there without any help. Verse 4 says that since the men could not get him to Jesus through the crowds, they decided to make an opening through the roof. They were determined to see this man get to Jesus and they didn’t stop because they encountered an obstacle.
We all need people like this in our lives, people that are determined to help us get closer to Jesus and live out our purpose, no matter what it takes. God places them in our lives to help us get from one point to another.
We are also called to be this person to others. At some stage, we’ve probably all encountered people who are pregnant with God given dreams or visions, but need help in birthing them or getting from one point to another. Whilst it may not be your own vision, God may have positioned you in their lives to encourage and guide them through their journey.
It may be a case of praying for them or intervening when necessary. Don’t give up on them. When it’s labour day and they can’t see the head, your job is to say to them ‘I can see it! You’re almost there. One final push!’
Words by Ijeoma Egole
