Words cannot express my joy today. I am so excited for you and Matt to welcome this little bundle of love into your lives and I cannot wait to meet her, to love on her, to watch her grow. There are seven of us helping host this shower today – six of them have experienced motherhood. Cassie, Erica, Kelly and Maria have welcomed their beautiful children into their lives and have loved and nurtured them for the past weeks and years. Chelsea and Laurie eagerly anticipate the arrival of their little ones with you. I am sure that they all know more about parenting and motherhood than I do. I am sure that they probably have more practical advice and definitely far more knowledgeable experience to share, but Romans 12:15 says to “rejoice with those who rejoice.” So, I might not be the likely choice to speak to you today, but, I am honored to have the opportunity to share in your joy.
There is something about motherhood that changes a person. I
am not entirely sure when this change occurs, maybe it is at conception or
maybe the moment you realize your pregnant or when you hear that heartbeat for
the first time or maybe it is different for each person, but it definitely
happens before birth. And that change is something so consuming and so thorough
that it alters you at your very soul. Your priorities change and you find
yourself willing to take any loss, even physical health, to keep the little
tiny person inside of you safe and happy. So Beth, although we have not
welcomed “baby beaker,” as I will lovingly refer to her, into this world, I
firmly believe you have already entered the world of motherhood. With that
being said, you and I now live in two different worlds. I know that someday you
will be, at farthest, a phone call away to welcome me into this amazing world,
but today, I want to share with you from an outsider’s perspective.
It has been a joy to watch and learn about motherhood from
so many wonderful moms, many of whom are in the room today. I could go for a
very long time about all the things that I have learned, but because I know
that you have learned these same lessons from the very same women, I will only
mention a few of my favorites.
Be far more concerned
about your child’s heart, then her behavior. It is very natural to be
concerned about your child’s behavior, particularly when she is lying on the
floor of your local Target while kicking and screaming and everyone is staring
at you. However, if we spend too much
time focusing on the outward behavior of our children, then we lose out on a valuable
opportunity. Mark 6:45 says: “The good
person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person
out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart
his mouth speaks.” Our behavior is only
indicative of what is going on in our hearts – this same truth applies to Baby
Beaker as well. Although there are
times, like in the middle of Target, you must stop and immediately correct her
behavior, remember to take the time and effort to instruct her in the ways of
God’s truth, so that her heart will produce the type of behavior that is
honoring to God.
You are raising an
adult, not a child. Often times it
is easy to focus on getting through “this stage.” They don’t call it the
terrible twos for nothing. Sometimes, you have to grab onto the truth that
“this too shall pass,” but remember eventually childhood itself passes. Proverbs 22:6 says: “Train up a child in the
way she should go; even when she is old he will not depart from it.” Remember,
that ultimately, you are not raising Baby Beaker to be a beautiful five year
old, ten year old, or even sixteen year old, but you are raising her to be a
godly woman, one who fervently and authentically follows Christ and desires to
serve Him with her whole life.
Protect your
marriage. One of my favorite quotes
about parenting is from John Wooden, who says, “The best thing a father can do
for his children is to love their mother.”
Not only is this true for Matt, but it is also true for you. The best
thing you can do for Baby Beaker is love and respect Matt and to nurture your
marriage. Your marriage, if kept strong and true, will provide the secure
environment Baby Beaker needs to feel safe and loved. Take the time and make
the effort to love Matt the very best that you can and I encourage him to do
the same for you. Worship together, grow together, love deeply, serve your
mate, be quick to apologize and don't take your marriage for granted.
Believe in the Power
and Possibility of the Future. In her book, Cold Tangerines, Shauna Niequist talks about how it is perfect it
is that the Messiah came as a baby. “Not because of his helplessness, but
because of the possibility every baby hold.”
She explains that “babies make us believe in the possibility and power
of the future.” It is so true. Holding a
new born baby makes us realize that life is in fact good. That this child will
go on to have a future full of endless possibilities, that the hope found in
tomorrow is powerful because of the redemption God gives us. Babies give us
hope. So on the rough days, when all you want to do is give up, look at your
beautiful daughter and realize that God has a plan and a purpose for her life. Her
life is the very essence of God’s power for she is, in fact, a miracle,
home-grown by God himself and just being her mom opens up new doors and
possibilities for your future as well.
And no matter what, remember that we all love you very much
and are here to support you, encourage you, and pray for you as you continue on
this beautiful journey of motherhood
Love, Kathryn
