Tuesday, August 16, 2011

She is sixteen, going on seventeen...

Tomorrow my firstborn will turn seventeen. In honor of that momentous occasion, I'm posting a piece reprinted from Daily Guideposts: Your First Year of Motherhood. For this girl of mine still makes my heart sing.

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Month One, Day Nine

Accompanied by trumpets, cymbals and other instruments, they raised their voices in praise to the Lord and sang, "He is good; His love endures forever" -- II Chronicles 5:13

I sent my husband out this morning to buy sanitary pads. I gave him detailed instructions: brand, size, price. Eager to help in any way he can (he's still feeling guilty about my long labor; the other day he threatened to walk up to complete strangers to demand, "Do you realize what you did to your mother?"), my dear Andrew went off to execute a task that I, as a woman, still find mildly embarrassing.

He came back a while later, breathless, and tossed me the bag. "I did it, but I was so flustered I left my wallet in the store!" he called as he left again. Fortunately the checkout girl had seen the wallet and set it aside. She returned it, suppressing a smirk.

Our marriage ceremony included no vows promising to do mortifying things for your spouse, but having a baby sure pushes the envelope. Seeing Andrew in this giddy state is kind of fun. He glows. He holds Elizabeth just so, fearful of breaking her. The tenderness with which he looks at her is divine. He startles as easily as the baby does, the Moro reflex of fatherhood kicking in each time he has to do something new.

I laugh with delight at this view of my husband, just as I chuckle at the ridiculousness of God's grace in giving me such a phenomenally dependent and delicious baby. Elizabeth, Elizabeth, I want to sing, Your life has changed everything! God knew His world wouldn't be complete without you! It's true, of course. The thanks that bubbles up is too big for my soul to contain, a sure sign that it's meant to be offered to Someone Whose heart is bigger.

Ah, dear Father! How good you are! How good you are!

© 2011 by Guideposts

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