Sarah Bell's Blog
A New Perspective / Dec 11, 10:11 AM
I am a total lame and haven’t kept up with my once a week blog at all! There have been so many things to blog about but unfortunately that means not much time to do the actual bogging!
There have been a couple of ‘firsts’ for our baby girl, Ruby, in the last few weeks. First teeth, first rice cereal, and unfortunately, first cold. And of course, being the amazing mom that I am (and naturally the most humble) I slathered numbing medicine on her gums, videoed the dinner, and caught the cold.
I think that being a parent gives you such new insight into God’s perspective. For instance, rice cereal. For weeks Ruby had been starring at us eating our food, trying to grab our silverware, and nearly pulling our plates right off of the table. So when we first sat Ruby down, draped from the neck down in a bath towel, to feed her food that is a mix of 95% milk 5% fine powdered rice I couldn’t help but adore her expressions of wonder and amazement. I imagine her thoughts being, “Ok, everyone else seems to like this so I’m going to give it a try! What was this new thing? It’s a bit scary but I think I like it. It’s not what I expected but I can tell it’s going to be great. More please!” How similar new Christians must look to God. Like little birds with their mouths open waiting (im)patiently for more knowledge, more understanding, more Jesus! It’s scary but wonderful; daunting but safe; messy but worth it.
And with teething and the cold, well that’s such a lesson in faith and patience. It’s really really hard to watch your child go through pain. Teething hurts, coughing is uncomfortable, and sneezing in annoying and for a baby who has never experienced these things before I think it can all be really scary. So, as a new mom, what do I do? I can’t take away her discomfort completely. Sure, I can give her medicine, sit in a steamed up bathroom with her, and hold her upright while she tries to rest. But in the end, she simply has to suffer through these growing pains. I rock her gently, rub her back, and suck out her snot with the bulb syringe (not the most glamorous job). I hug and kiss her a hundred times and tell her she is loved and that we’ll get through this pain together.
As a parent you laugh when your children laugh, hurt when they hut. Even when you know that they are going through necessary pain you still cry when they suffer. Sure God is God and knows all things past, present, and future. Of course he isn’t physically here to hold our hands when our wobbly legs don’t let us stand on our own. But in my heart of hearts I trust that in so many different ways, if I just listen and pay attention, he is telling me over and over that I am loved and that we’ll get through this pain together. I mean, I’ve only known this parental love for 5 and ½ months….imagine love that has been there forever.
Of course we will go through painful times in our lives and maybe the holiday season is one of those times. But just keep opening your mouth wide for more of Jesus and feel his tight embrace. He loves you more than you could ever imagine.
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