My sister is having a baby soon, so today I got out my baby things to let her go through. One box of clothes I went through was Ethan’s newborn things. His newborn hat, blanket, undershirt, even my medical bracelet from the hospital.
It’s always a bittersweet feeling seeing things like this. My heart sank but its hard to say what kind of feeling it is. It’s an oh-my-word- I remember those first few days…through the exhaustion, feeling of complete joy at my new baby in my arms. His smell. I can still remember it if I try hard enough. His teeny tiny body. Many of the clothes I could remember him wearing. He was tiny and I remember the pangs in my stomach as I kept dressing him in those 0-3 month clothes…again…him not growing out of them so quickly. Fear, only a mother can understand….but alas, he did grow. And he did outgrow his clothes.
But as I looked over the things, my mind raced at how much he has grown over the last two years and how my love continues to grow exponentially for each of my kids each day.
Everyday is something new, whether they are two years old or ten.
We finished reading Mountain Born by Elizabeth Yates last week, a lovely story about a sheep raising family. It wonderfully depicts the relationship between a shepherd and his flock, and so beautifully relates to the Bible.
One line in the book struck me. There comes a point where the baby lamb has grown up, and the boy in the story who has cared for him is realizing the sheep’s life is coming to an end. The shepherd says to him…
“Maybe it would be nice to have the sun stay overhead always; maybe it would…and maybe we wouldn’t get anywhere if it did.” (page 80)
Isn’t that so true. We can’t keep the sun in the sky at noon all the time. God made everything to move forward. There is always change, and it is necessary. It is how God has created this world.
If time stood still, think of all we would miss out on. My babies have to grow old, and so do I.
But for a moment, my mind was able to go back in time…for a very brief moment, and hold my baby once more…thankfully we have those bittersweet memories to hold dear in our hearts…
Such a simple fact of life, yet so complex. Even more reason though to simplify our lives and prioritize our focus. When we realize how quickly time goes and how God has a plan for us, it is so apparent that we must focus on what is important.
Today I am thankful for that reminder, for those clothes, and the opportunity to see it all happen again in a few months…the new life that will be here…wearing those sweet clothes…the growing up…the always moving forward in life…
“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven” Ecclesiastes 3:1
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Join me on my journey to clear the clutter as I am simply living...for Him! I am a homeschooling mom sharing about my faith, family, hobby-farm life, and Jesus. I am also an author and speaker and love sharing my journey with others- and I am all about keeping it real and authentic! Join me as I seek less of this world and more of Jesus!
Karen DeBeus is a homeschooling mom learning to live more simply and keep God at the center of it all. She is the author of three best-selling homeschooling books and writes at Simply Living for Him. She speaks nationally at homeschooling conventions and recently was a speaker at the Family Bible Conference in Washington, DC. Her passion is to help others clear the clutter from their lives, seek God first, and to encourage women and families to get in the Word every day.
In 2016, she founded the Simply Living for Him Retreat, which is a time of rest and renewal for all women seeking Jesus. She enjoys life on her hobby farm with her husband and four children. Together they are a work-at-home family pursuing a simple life with purpose and, above all, seeking to glorify God in all they do.
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