Everything is His
This morning for my devotion I was reading in 1 Samuel when Hannah takes her son to the temple after he was "weaned", which would have been about age 3 or 4. She had been unable to have children but God gave her Samuel and she made a decision to give him back to her Lord, to have him raised in the temple. My reading this morning was a reminder that our children belong to God. Everything is His, but my children belonging to Him is not always at the front of my mind. I carried these tiny people inside my body, endured intense physical pain to bring them into the world, nursed them, snuggled them, lost great amounts of sleep for them...and I'm about to do it all again in less than a month. These kids are mine! Well yes, they are...but ultimately they belong to the Lord. He "knit" them together in my womb...a beautiful miracle that I will never fully fathom. He gives me a great deal of grace and patience (mostly for myself) when I feel I'm completely failing as a mother. He teaches me so much through these tiny people, about myself and about who He is.
Next to a wedding ceremony, I find infant baptism to be one of the most beautiful rituals in the church. I grew up "non-denominational" and was taught that only Catholic people baptize infants and it's so wrong! Well now I worship in the Reform tradition and we do it as well and it's wonderful. When Norm and I got married part of the ceremony was the attendants agreeing, more like promising to uphold us and support us in our marriage. It's very similar when our children are baptized, they are held by the pastor in front of the congregation and they agree to essentially adopt our child as their own, look out for them and help teach them in the faith. I'm not trying to start a debate on infant baptism, I believe that as our children grow up it is important for them to make their own choice to follow the Lord but I also believe this ritual or ceremony is equally important. It reminds us that these tiny people do not belong to us, we do not have control over their lives. They were given to us, the greatest gift and treasure that God could ever entrust to us, life!
I think that if this were at the forefront of my mind each and every day, I would be a much different mother. I would have more grace and patience with them as God does with me, I would not attempt to control them or what they do but rather guide them and lead them through life.
We did not plan on baby #3 but I believe God did. People keep asking me if I'm "ready"...HA, "as ready as I can be!" I say. The time has gone so fast, as it does...I look at my son who is 7 and think, wow...you used to be a tiny baby in my arms and now look at you! I'll blink and we will be taking him to college, which I know is a heart wrenching experience for any mother. As is letting them go to their future spouse...but for now, I hold onto this little guy and laugh when he says he doesn't want to get married. As prepare to welcome this new life into our family I have been very introspective and honestly pretty freaked out. The closer I get though I feel more and more peace as God continues to show His faithfulness to provide and remind me that everything will be okay. The more I let go, the more peace I feel, odd as it sounds.
I am so thankful to be in a community of believers that I trust with the lives of my children. I recently went on a women's retreat and a friend was saying how she felt like "we" need to figure out how to make "this" work...meaning, the birth of #3 and how to make it easier on me, how our church can help us. That is what true community looks like friends. If it takes a "village" then I'm thankful for the village God has given us here in Seattle.
Next to a wedding ceremony, I find infant baptism to be one of the most beautiful rituals in the church. I grew up "non-denominational" and was taught that only Catholic people baptize infants and it's so wrong! Well now I worship in the Reform tradition and we do it as well and it's wonderful. When Norm and I got married part of the ceremony was the attendants agreeing, more like promising to uphold us and support us in our marriage. It's very similar when our children are baptized, they are held by the pastor in front of the congregation and they agree to essentially adopt our child as their own, look out for them and help teach them in the faith. I'm not trying to start a debate on infant baptism, I believe that as our children grow up it is important for them to make their own choice to follow the Lord but I also believe this ritual or ceremony is equally important. It reminds us that these tiny people do not belong to us, we do not have control over their lives. They were given to us, the greatest gift and treasure that God could ever entrust to us, life!
I think that if this were at the forefront of my mind each and every day, I would be a much different mother. I would have more grace and patience with them as God does with me, I would not attempt to control them or what they do but rather guide them and lead them through life.
We did not plan on baby #3 but I believe God did. People keep asking me if I'm "ready"...HA, "as ready as I can be!" I say. The time has gone so fast, as it does...I look at my son who is 7 and think, wow...you used to be a tiny baby in my arms and now look at you! I'll blink and we will be taking him to college, which I know is a heart wrenching experience for any mother. As is letting them go to their future spouse...but for now, I hold onto this little guy and laugh when he says he doesn't want to get married. As prepare to welcome this new life into our family I have been very introspective and honestly pretty freaked out. The closer I get though I feel more and more peace as God continues to show His faithfulness to provide and remind me that everything will be okay. The more I let go, the more peace I feel, odd as it sounds.
I am so thankful to be in a community of believers that I trust with the lives of my children. I recently went on a women's retreat and a friend was saying how she felt like "we" need to figure out how to make "this" work...meaning, the birth of #3 and how to make it easier on me, how our church can help us. That is what true community looks like friends. If it takes a "village" then I'm thankful for the village God has given us here in Seattle.
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