Book Review: Holy Labor by Aubry G. Smith
-Disclaimer; I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion, not a “good” or “approved” review.
My Honest Opinion
What a surprise this book was for me, a wonderful gift. I believe it fills a gap that has needed filling for a lot of years. Although, both of my children are grown, I still remember looking for something that would speak to my soul, keep me from straying from God, and help me understand what I was getting into during my pregnancy and labor, and it was nowhere to be found. What I did find was either to technically medical or too hippy-ish, straying into “spirituality”. Honestly, I was a little worried that this book would sway to the side of weird, but it does not it stays very firm on biblical principles.
My Birthing Experiences
Both of my children were born in the 90’s and back then it was all natural or you would 1.) receive a silent sham from friends and family and 2.) receive a rather large bill, as insurance didn’t cover much in the way of help, especially epidurals. Of course, we all took Lamaze classes and had a tour of the new birthing centers, we also wrote out our “birthing plan” (this is where you tell the doctor and nurses that you don’t want your baby taken from you for cleaning or anything for the first hour, no bottle, etc.…) Here we thought we were well prepared, we knew what it was going to be like to have a baby. What we didn’t realize was that – every woman and every baby is different so every birth experience is different.
Filling the Gap
This book does a beautiful job filling the gap between too medical and just plain weird. It does an amazing job of walking you through pregnancy and labor, while pointing you back to Jesus. Childbirth is not a curse, it is a beautiful, life giving experience, that can be viewed with the abundance that new life offers.
Aubry writes with a spiritual depth that is clear, spoken in layman’s terms. She artfully explains each layer opening each idea one by one. Often, I found myself thinking, ‘how did I not see this before’. She goes through the entire process, the physical, the emotional, and the spiritual from a wealth of understanding that few have. At the end of each chapter she has a section titled “Spiritual Disciplines for X” here she not only gives a summary of the chapter, she also gives practical exercises that will reinforce what you are learning and, most importantly, help you grow closer to the Lord.
Called the Serve as unto the Lord
“And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not unto men”
Colossians 3:23
If we are to do all “as unto the Lord” (Col 3:23) then we must use each and every experience to honor God. To do this we need to be deliberate. For me I often found myself distracted with so much going on that when I wasn’t deliberate, I found I had put my relationship with the Lord on a back burner, it is a hard realization. I believe that this book will help you grow closer rather than allow this season to create a gap between you and your Savior. Be deliberate, invite Jesus into your pregnancy, labor, and child rearing, I am sure that you will be so glad that you did.
Other Topics Discussed
Aubry also discusses some difficult topics such as infertility and postpartum depression all from a biblical point of view.
As woman, most of us will find a large portion of our identity tied to being a mom. It is a rewarding experience, still it is hard work. The Bible speaks of child birth and its great pain, we travail, in rearing children, it is not just in the labor and delivery, it is from start to finish. Many battle infertility and/or miscarriages. Some go through labor to deliver a still born. For some labor is there great pain. Some have children with physical, emotional, or mental challenges. Others have children go so far from how they were raised that parents are left to wonder what went wrong. And still others have to bury their child in the prime of their lives. These are all painful experiences, and this is not an all-inclusive list. We all will suffer in some shape or form in the process of raising a child, or children.
Bringing it Back to Jesus
The whole process of parenting points us back to our Heavenly Father. He hurt when Adam and Eve sinned. Jesus hurts when we hurt. God gave His Son so that we could be His beloved children. I believe that if you look you will see Him, in all of it. If you choose you can use that to have a deeper relationship with Him. You will see, it all points to Jesus.
I am confident that you will be blessed by this book, weather you are a soon to be mom, an empty nester, or somewhere in between.
You can get a copy of Aubry’s book at Amazon, I have added a link. I am not an affiliate with Amazon so I will not gain in anyway if you purchase.
Grace and Peace
Debra Jean