God's Gift of Life

This has been a hot topic of conversation/blogging lately with the long-awaited arrival of a brand new baby boy, Tyler Christian Blakey. I got the privilege of visiting him and even holding him for a few minutes. For a few pictures, you can visit www.godsongmusic.com and read Bobby's blog about his new baby! I'd like to brag that I'm a natural at handling babies after that experience, but he was asleep the whole time, so I don't know if it counts. Basically Bobby, Christa, and I sat around talking and waiting to see what the baby was going to do next. He stretched a lot, made a few funny faces, and there were a few times where it seemed like he was dreaming (Of course, every time he smiled we attributed it to the fact that he likes me, and every time he looked as if he were in pain we concluded that it must be a bad dream about getting a shot or another horrible hearing test).

Of course, we talked mostly about Tyler, how he was going to be raised and such. Topics such as Santa Claus and the Tooth Fairy came up (neither of which Tyler will believe in), as well as some interesting ones about the experiences of childbirth. Bobby and Christa were both quite pleased to tell me that their experience so far has been wonderful (I'm sure the free dinner every night helps a little), and that it has basically contradicted everything they've heard about raising a child. First the pregnancy was supposed to be hard but that was pretty fun for Christa, she said. Then childbirth was supposed to be the most horrible thing, which was "intense" as they like to describe it, but nothing close to what they had been told. Next is the first few days home from the hospital in which the parents get no sleep, but Bobby and Christa are doing quite well, getting plenty of sleep, and have actually been having fun with their new child! (Novel concept I guess...) Perhaps some babies are different... but certainly for Bobby and Christa this one is truly a gift from the Lord!

"Sons are a heritage from the LORD, children a reward from him." Psalm 127:3

The Lord gives life graciously, and often I forget that He does that for everyone including me. God has given me life, and given me loving parents to hold me and love me and feed me and stick with me through good times and bad. I got a little glimpse of that when I got to play a little tiny bit of that role in holding Tyler. In fact, God is the loving Parent who sticks with us through thick and thin and loves us unconditionally, and feeds us because we can't feed ourselves. I think I'm growing up and becoming independent and self sufficient now, on the verge of running my own life by myself. Fat chance. I'm just as dependent on the Provider now as I was almost exactly 17 and a half years ago. Can I make the sun rise each day, or the rain fall, or the wind blow, or plants grow? What I forget is that He will always have to take care of my needs, whether I want Him to or not, whether I like it or not, even whether I believe in Him or not.

So the question is simply, how do I respond?

"Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the LORD Forever." Psalm 23:6