new perspective

it's fitting that this post comes after vicki's post from last week. while she is getting used to the idea of being an empty-nester, i'm getting used to being a mom [if you want to read more about keane's entrance into the world, you'll find that story HERE].

keane is now just over a month old, and just so happens to be the cutest little boy ever [granted, i'm biased...]. see what i mean, though?

anyway, i've naturally been thinking about a lot surrounding children and parenting and family, and all of that. and while four and a half weeks of being a mom doesn't give me any great insights into parenting, there are a few things that have hit me right in the gut.

first off, having a newborn really makes me think about Jesus sacrificing everything to come to this earth as an infant. it's absolutely crazy to realize that the God of the universe was a completely helpless newborn baby. that has hit me in new ways in these last few weeks, especially in light of this christmas season.

and then there's how much i love my son. how sometimes, when i stop and really think about it, i just start crying because he's such an incredible blessing. i love him so very much - as much as i possibly can, and yet i love him so imperfectly. so how much greater is the love God has for us, undeserving as we are, because he loves us perfectly. perfectly.

in the sense of trying to understand God as father, being a parent has certainly helped. i think about how much i want what's best for my son. how much it pains me when he's in pain, how much i hope for good things for his future, and i think about how much truer all of those things are when God looks at us.

it puts the cross into better perspective. the father watching his son in so much pain, and having the ability to change it, to fix it, and yet he turned his back and forsook his son, so that we could know him as father too. it's heart-wrenching.

yet, it's that much more of a confirmation of God's love for us, and of his trustworthiness. he sees all, he knows all, and he is in complete control. so even though we cannot see or understand all of the pieces of the puzzle, he knows. and even more than i want good things for my baby boy, God wants good things for us. he wants the best things for us. and he is the only one who knows how to mold us, and grow us, and make all things work together for good in the end.

God has shown himself to me in brand new ways during my pregnancy, through keane's birth, and through this little slice of parenthood i've experienced.

i'd love to hear about experiences you've had where God has shown himself to you in brand new ways.

katie