My youngest boy is now 14 months old. Wasn’t it just yesterday that I was cuddling my little newborn?
Wasn’t it just a minute ago that he started smiling?
Then again, haven’t Michael and Cruz always been together?
Haven’t I always loved this precious boy?
My baby got his first haircut this weekend. He looks so much more grown-up to me, but he’s still got his curls.
As I thought about my baby growing up and becoming less of a baby every day, I couldn’t help but think of the first part of Luke 2:40 – “And the child grew and became strong…” Jesus was once a baby, and He grew. He was a little boy, and He grew. He was a young man, and He grew. And He had a mother watching Him grow every step of the way.
This morning in church the pastor stated that Mary is arguably the most important woman in Scripture. Based on the little we know of her, I think that she was a good mother. It does something to my heart to know that Jesus was mothered by a good woman.
The latter part of Luke 2:40 says, “…he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was on him.” I pray that the same will be true for my two boys. I think it’ll help if I’m a good mother. I can’t limit God’s power in my boys’ lives with my behavior, but I’d like to be a positive part of their redemption story. Because, although I adore my boys, they are still sinners in need of a savior. Just like me. Just like you. Just like every person on this planet.
So my constant prayer is that I mother my boys well. As they grow and become strong, as we move from first haircuts to first days of school and beyond, I pray that I’ll grow as a mother and will be the mother that they need at each moment. I pray that, when my boys are men, they’ll look back at their childhoods fondly. I pray that they’ll remember shared laughter during the everyday moments, many books read (with some of the voices acted out), afternoons at the park, birthday parties with friends, and Bible study (even when they weren’t feeling it).
And I pray to be right there at the first moment that they submit their hearts to Jesus.