He screamed all night. In my
sleep deprived state of mind, I thought I would die of frustration or exhaustion. I can’t
do this forever, I thought to myself. I
can’t take care of him. Will he ever stop screaming? That little red faced
baby boy, eleven years later, is (today) out in the garden planting catnip
seeds and helping his sister plant her flowers. He comes up to my earlobes and
can’t wait to get taller than me – he won’t have to wait long at this rate, and
I’m not short.
The essential truth that my brain couldn’t register back then was that God wasn’t asking me to take care of
a screaming baby forever. He was asking me to do it that night, and a handful
of other nights. Everything we experience, good or bad, is
temporary.
While we look not at the things which are seen, but
at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal;
but the things which are not seen are eternal.
2 Corinthians 4:18
One thing is for sure, that little boy will
keep getting bigger and more independent. If you haven’t read the book “I’ll Love You Forever” by Robert Munsch,
please enjoy this YouTube reading of the book. But I have to warn you: it’s a
tearjerker.
If you are going through a tough time, please
remember that it won’t last forever: nothing in this life does.
Beautiful post
ReplyDeleteSpeaking as the parent of a teenager and a 20-year-old, I can tell you that not only will it pass, but that you will miss all of it: every stage of his childhood, even the most difficult, painful ones. Thanks for the post!
ReplyDeleteI am the mother of two of those little boys.. who are now 28 and 30. Wow! Can hardly believe that as I write it. You are so right.. there are tough times for sure. But they don't last forever. And when you're going through them, it can help to remember that there are far more wonderful times in life - especially when we are blessed to be moms!
ReplyDeleteHe's got a pretty cool mom.
ReplyDeleteA month from now, I'll have an 18 year old daughter. I look back and wonder where that little girl went, as only a Dad with a daughter can. Many things are past and gone forever, yet many good things are yet to come, as I get the awesome privilege of watching her become a beautiful, Godly young woman.
It's amazing how something that seemed so unbearable at the time can, in retrospect, have been a great blessing in our life. We must learn to realize that everything truly is temporary except the blessings of a generous God.
ReplyDeleteExcellent Post, Suzanne. If we could all just remember that whatever we are going through, good or bad, it is temporary. We then could bear the bad with greater courage, for the Lord is with us, and we would relish the joys all the more fully because they too will pass. Thanks for the reminder. God bless, Maria at Delight Directed Living
ReplyDeleteI need to remember that when my seven-year-old daughter is being...less than sweet, shall we say. But I will love her forever anyway. And I do LOVE that book.
ReplyDelete