Births are happening in my extended family. My nieces and nephews are now having children. And I can hardly wait for my daughter, Shauna and her husband, Christopher to start having children....when they are ready. :-) I have been a little nostalgic lately with 2 of my children having birthdays in the last 2 months. It is fun to celebrate their birthdays with them. And for me, personally, I also recall their birth days. Funny how I can still recall the emotions of giving birth 25 years ago. It is amazing to me, with all 3 of my children, that I felt a glorious new wonder at the birth of each one.
It was always this hallowed moment, this moment when that precious life was placed directly in my hands. I still remember the awe, the breathlessness with each one. The realization that I, in my very humble state, had somehow partnered with the Divine in this magnificent creation. Holding that little one "so fresh from God" with His kiss still upon their cheek, I felt closer than ever to Him. That He would choose me. That He would love me enough to give me this prize of His. It was funny, or weird, or strange to me that with each of those little people, I knew in an instant that my love was so great for them that I would die for them without hesitation.
Over the course of the next weeks following the birth of my first little jewel, hints of the immense love of God begin to trickle into my conscious mind. I would die for her...He died for me. Not even yet to "terribly twos" or "terrifying teens," looking upon her sweet little face I knew I would forgive whatever grievances she brought me.....ahhhh, that is why He forgives me over and over and over again. This little package, this little darling would never be able to do anything to ever stop this avalanche of love that filled my heart....."nothing can separate me from the love of God." And so began my journey to really understanding the unconditional love of God (25 years later, I am still learning.) Before baby....nice words on the page, after baby....revelations over and over again of the great reality of His love for me. For you. For us.
I have to wonder if that is why He created us to have children...to carry them within us...to birth them. To give us another, glorious way of understanding His love for us and His delight over us. I believe that has been true for me, and I am thankful for the gift of these 3 precious souls that have taught me so much about my Father's love for me.
Monday, August 6, 2012
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Freedom Trail
It's a good day. The sun has been out, mostly, and I have been riding a train all day with Trew, my newly turned 11-year-old. We are on the 11th day of our 3 week trip discovering America!
As we were coming along the coast this morning from Boston to New York, I was delighted by the sun sparkling off the water, all the sail boats and motor boats on the water, the Cape Cod-type homes surrounding the water and the happily worn piers jutting out into the water. I love the water. Somewhere inside of me I believe that someday I will live on the water. It draws me. It is like a happy pill to my soul.
My thoughts then turned to (for about the 100th time during this trip) what a very beautiful country I live in. Then I began to think about some of the history that we have been learning (or re-learning, in my case) along the way. It stirs my patriotic spirit within me when I think of the men and women who gave their lives for our country and the freedoms that we have. Other countries have amazing ancient history and I use to think how sad that things are just not that old here in America. But lately, I have come to more fully appreciate our hard-won freedom to carve a new republic. The exciting characters, both named and un-named, who left family and familiarity so I can live where I live today. The early pioneers, who blazed dirt trails where we now have high rises. Wow. I felt overwhelmed with thankfulness, thankful for our American trail blazers, thankful for various freedoms I enjoy, thankful that I live in this amazingly beautiful, easy to traverse country. It was just about that point in my musings when, as we were pulling into NYC, that I saw a building with these words in gold letters on the side:
"Is it nothing to you, all you who pass by?" Lamentations 1:12
That fit! I was wondering why, it seems, that so many take our liberties so lightly. Why do I take them so lightly? Is it nothing to me?....to us collectively, as a nation? Do we pass it by as passe'? Nothing to sweat--this loss of liberty, of freedoms. It does not affect us personally...or does it? When will we wake up? When it is too late? Do we not value what others lost or gave up so that we might have these freedoms? These are serious matters to ponder. Ponder....and act upon. I would personally encourage everyone to get involved and work hard to keep our freedoms, at whatever level you are able. What does that mean for you? I don't know. I don't always know what it means for me. But I pray about being ready for whatever I may need to do or see to do. I may not have blazed the original freedom trails but I can do my part to maintain them. I owe that to those who came before me, and to those who will come after me.
As we were coming along the coast this morning from Boston to New York, I was delighted by the sun sparkling off the water, all the sail boats and motor boats on the water, the Cape Cod-type homes surrounding the water and the happily worn piers jutting out into the water. I love the water. Somewhere inside of me I believe that someday I will live on the water. It draws me. It is like a happy pill to my soul.
My thoughts then turned to (for about the 100th time during this trip) what a very beautiful country I live in. Then I began to think about some of the history that we have been learning (or re-learning, in my case) along the way. It stirs my patriotic spirit within me when I think of the men and women who gave their lives for our country and the freedoms that we have. Other countries have amazing ancient history and I use to think how sad that things are just not that old here in America. But lately, I have come to more fully appreciate our hard-won freedom to carve a new republic. The exciting characters, both named and un-named, who left family and familiarity so I can live where I live today. The early pioneers, who blazed dirt trails where we now have high rises. Wow. I felt overwhelmed with thankfulness, thankful for our American trail blazers, thankful for various freedoms I enjoy, thankful that I live in this amazingly beautiful, easy to traverse country. It was just about that point in my musings when, as we were pulling into NYC, that I saw a building with these words in gold letters on the side:
"Is it nothing to you, all you who pass by?" Lamentations 1:12
That fit! I was wondering why, it seems, that so many take our liberties so lightly. Why do I take them so lightly? Is it nothing to me?....to us collectively, as a nation? Do we pass it by as passe'? Nothing to sweat--this loss of liberty, of freedoms. It does not affect us personally...or does it? When will we wake up? When it is too late? Do we not value what others lost or gave up so that we might have these freedoms? These are serious matters to ponder. Ponder....and act upon. I would personally encourage everyone to get involved and work hard to keep our freedoms, at whatever level you are able. What does that mean for you? I don't know. I don't always know what it means for me. But I pray about being ready for whatever I may need to do or see to do. I may not have blazed the original freedom trails but I can do my part to maintain them. I owe that to those who came before me, and to those who will come after me.
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