What kind of dolls did you have when you were a child? I have my eyeball looking in my time tunnel and I see little glowing faces under the Christmas tree of Shirley Temple, Chatty Cathy, and Barbie standing in front of her dream house with Ken on the driveway positioned in their pink convertible. I’ve had dolls that talked, walked, cried, grew hair, took a bottle then wet her diaper. For hours I practiced on being a good mommy. Bet you did too.
What I didn’t anticipate was colic, high fever, ear infections, asthma, viruses, and a child that would one day stand up to me and say, “No”. Chatty Cathy only said things like, “Hi, my name is Cathy. What’s yours? Would you like to be my friend?”
My usual prenatal comment in restaurants would be, “My child will never act like that.” Listening to a screaming child who was throwing food was more than I could hack. “How dare those parents allow their children to behave so uncivilized. Do they think they’re the only ones here?”
Not long after those comments I sat in a Chinese restaurant with two babies in highchairs throwing fried rice in my hair. Lesson number one in parenthood—get rid of the word never. I tossed all my parental books and ran to the Lord with the realization there were no pat answers for the uniqueness of His creation; except for His very own words.
Kellie and Kyle were 17 months apart and one look at them was all it took for me to fall in love. Life has never (never in this context is acceptable) been the same since. Chucks of my heart were given as I placed my lips on their soft baby skin. Instantly I decided to give them my life should it ever become necessary; for them to live was more important than me to do so.
It is humbling to think God feels the same about us as He did give His life, His Son-Jesus, to show how deep His love is for us.
“Because you are his children, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” Galatians 4:6
Thank God for being your Abba, Daddy God today. He fell in love with you way before your parents did.
