Growth

What a good sitter!

One of the most astonishing things about having a child is watching his development.  We have met with a dozen specialists since Brady's birth, all of them with their own opinion about how he's going to grow and mature.  For the most part, they've all told us that he will develop slower than "normal".  Being new parents, we have no idea what that is supposed to be like, so we have just been taking everything as it's come!  Brady is in physical therapy with one of the great pediatric therapists that works for the same company as I do (another blessing God has given us, but that's a different story).  We go once a week and basically play.  The playing is intentional- it's supposed to help him recognize how his body works to help him perform tasks like rolling over, propping up on his hands, sitting up and crawling (this is the latest project...so far he's just kind of looking like an inch worm).  The funny thing about this is, Brady is doing just fine!  He can sit up for a while on his own, he loves rolling all over the room to get what he wants, and is so happy to just interact with the people around him.  He's meeting all of his "major milestones" at a pretty "normal" pace!

I've come to be aware of how intentional our spiritual growth must be as well.   Being raised in the church tends to mean that you know all the right answers, or know the right things to do, and yet I think it also leads us to be the most vulnerable to being stale.

We work so hard at getting our bodies in shape, eating right, improving our minds, getting promotions at our jobs, but do we spend time with God?  Do we take the time to get to know who God is through his Word?  Do we say that we want to follow Jesus and learn to love as he loves, and just assume that we know what that means?

I have asked myself those questions for months and I haven't had the courage to really face what action would look like.  It means re-allocating time, when I feel like that's at a premium.  I would need to change what I take in and what I give out.  I would wrestle with my relationships, because when God is first, it changes all of them.

"How big is Brady?.... Sooooo big!"

Most of the time, it's more comfortable to stay laying on my back, playing with toys that are in reach and not learning any new skills.  We haven't been created to be that way though, we have been created in the image of a perfect God, and while we can't be perfect, we can always improve our relationship with Him.  It means giving up what seems to be a lot, but it ends up being nothing at all comparatively. I'm no where NEAR having this figured out, but I had to start somewhere.  There is a call on our lives to be about more than just our outfits, our jobs, our bodies, our social standing... none of that matters at the end of the day.  The impact that I can have for God on my community, on my friendships and on my family is worth so much more than that, and worth any "sacrifice" I may make.  That's what I stand on, and why I keep working at it.  The alternative just leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

Refocusing Our Lenses

At the start of a new year, our culture takes to self-reflection and betterment.  Resolutions to lose weight, read more, have new relationships take a sudden prominence in our life.  And yet, ask anyone who is a consistent member at a gym- February hits, and the busy rush of newbies that had flooded the gym has dwindled away.  It isn't until it's beach season that there is a re-focus on getting in shape.

Brady and I at the beach this summer... beach bod...get it?

Early today, I heard a message on WMBI (Moody Bible Institute's radio network) by Ravi Zacharias (who has a really cool story if you have time to read it) that illustrated so clearly the importance of keeping our focus on God's will for our lives.  Using King Saul as an example, he showed how Israel's first (and Zachrias says could've been arguably their best) king allowed his humanity to overcome his desire to follow God.  There were moments of re-focusing where Samuel helped Saul see the err of his ways, but he ultimately died the way he had lived- for (and by) himself.

Brady has been a true re-focusing for Brad and I.  The providence of God in my pregnancy and in our life since Brady's birth has been immense, beyond what we could have even imagined... The way that Brady is already exceeding expectations the world has set for him... Our recognition of our limited abilities to do this parenting thing- we're responsible for a human life! What?!  We sure couldn't do this without the human and spiritual support God places in our lives.

Because of all of these (and many more, believe me!) realities in our lives, we have felt called to adjust the lens with which we see the world, and see not through eyes that serve two masters, but ones that are continuously humbled and seeking how to serve God.  Not just saying that we are followers of Christ, but actually living it.  As Christ said in the Sermon on the Mount, "No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other." (Matt. 6:24a) We cannot keep seeking validation for our lives in the way that the world sees us, because we now see our lives through a re-focused lens- one that is on God.

It's amazing how Brady keeps changing our lives, and we can't wait to see how else it keeps evolving!

Happy New Year!