Risen & Rooted

What. An. Adventure! I gave up roller coasters in my 20s, but motherhood is one ride I don’t ever want to get off of! The things I’ve learned (and continue to learn) are so invaluable and have been such an answer to the prayer that I asked of God to not just use me to teach her, but that she would teach me also. So here are four things I’ve learned so far:

1. How my baby depends on me is a physical example of how I should be depending upon God.

She runs to me when she’s scared. Needs me to hold her when she’s tired. Claps her hands and rejoices when she sees my face first thing in the morning….and oh how she loves to sit at my feet as she plays. Although one day Evey will not need me in the same ways, I will ALWAYS need dependency upon Jesus. To run to him, let him hold me in His arms, and lift me hands for joy as He rejoices over me. I am who she needs, and God is all I need.

2. I’ve come to understand that, as much as I long to, I will not be able to catch her every time she falls.

This is a hard one. The joyous milestone of walking comes with the hardship of falling and it’s difficult to watch her cry when I can’t break her fall. We tell our children, wrongly but sincerely, that we’ll ALWAYS be there, but the truth is that we may not. The blessing of this is that I will be able to teach her that God has PROMISED to hold her up by His righteous right hand! I’m her mom and I love her, and I won’t always be able to cushion life’s blows, but God can! He will ALWAYS catch her. He is our true and full comfort, and our support in EVERY circumstance of life.

3. Every phase of her childhood comes with fresh prayers and opportunities to watch God work.

Mom life is fraught with concerns that can easily turn into worry and fear. If I turn my concerns over to Jesus, before my mind draws me away with worry, my concerns become opportunities to watch God work. And boy, does He! I don’t know how many times I’ve watched this little bean take on small things (big things in my mind) and watch her sail right through. I can’t wait until she can understand the many ways God loves her!

4. What I do around her matters NOW…Even though she’s only a one year old.

I’ve come to learn that SHE. WATCHES. EVERYTHING. For the longest I could not figure out why she didn’t want to eat her food, but would gladly eat the same thing from my plate. She wants to eat like me! From my spoon, my bowl, my cup. It does not matter to her that she has the same thing in her tiny bowl and spoon. She wants to eat from the big girl dishes….What does that mean? She’s watching all that I do and she want to do what I’m doing, therefore what I do must be Godly, fitting and proper if she’s going to turn out to be a Godly woman. I should NEVER assume that anything I do is unimportant or insignificant. My influence and choices matter…even in what may seem like little things.

While I’m learning new things from this tiny little fire cracker of a girl, one thing is always true – that with or without children, God is using things mightily using the small things to mold and shape us into the grand image of Christ Jesus. Sometimes the biggest lessons are in the smallest of packages!