so blessed...

i feel so blessed to have a father-in-law who is such an amazing encourager! he will randomly send me quotes from books he is reading that he feels will encourage me and give me strength and confidence in the work jake and I are doing with Piper...

this one is from Pure Pleasure by Gary Thomas...

“…let me explain the spiritual violence we do to young mothers when we shame them for being overwhelmed with love for their babies in a way they may not feel in that particular moment for God. Neurologists now understand that when a woman nurses her newborn, her brain releases extra doses of oxytocin and prolactin, which are neurochemicals that trigger profound feelings of intimacy and a rush of emotional love. In fact, nursing also triggers the release of oxytocin in the infant. In the God-designed act of nursing, mother and child are all but melding into each other, overcome with intense feelings of adoration, intimacy, and closeness. Their brains ping with positive, pleasurable feedback. Scientists have found this chemical reaction to be so overpowering that mother rats chose their newborns over cocaine!

Our creator designed this interaction, and brilliantly so. In a season of life that calls this young woman to so much work – changing diapers, struggling through sleep-deprived nights, dealing with incessant crying, breathing in unpleasant smells – it’s a mark of God’s genius that he also provides for unusually intense emotional bonding.

I can imagine a young mother’s prayer: “How good and kind you are, my heavenly Father, that you provide such pleasing intimacy between a mother and her baby. What a joy that my child and I can share these moments as gifts from your hand! You’ve designed my brain to truly enjoy regular times of intimacy and to bond so very deeply with a child I might otherwise grow to resent.” (pp.62-63)

I hope this encourages someone else today...