Love Conquers All

Life as I know it will never be the same again, and I am eternally grateful. Change is an understatement in describing the last couple of months in our home. Coffee tables that used to hold the morning’s rushed cup of coffee, now hold half-emptied baby bottles and yesterday’s burp cloth. A peaceful night’s rest now consists of 3AM feedings and sporadic bouts of crying. Simple outings to the store now entail a perfectly stocked diaper bag and all the baby essentials. Favorite TV shows, which were once watched all the way through, now involve multiple pauses and often missed endings. Hours spent on the phone to family and friends are now brief conversations tucked in between naps and feeding times. On July 19, 2008 at 9:50AM, my life was forever changed.

I admit it, I’m in love. When you’re in love, it’s easy to forget the lack of sleep. When you’re in love, it’s easy to forgive the bouts of crying and the disorderly house. Love conquers all things. During late night feedings nestled on the couch I stare in awe at this little person before me. I make contact with his sleepy eyes and tell him a story or two, or sing a few verses of my favorite hymn. I study his tiny fingers and chubby arms as they grasp my chest. I take notice of his soft hair and memorize every wave and swirl. I am mesmerized as I see features of myself displayed in this new human life. In these tender moments, I often wonder if God feels the same way about us.

I have always understood the basics of God’s love for humanity. Like the Psalmist who proclaims, “you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made…when I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body.” The disciple Matthew claims that God knows every fiber of our being; even down to every hair on our head. In the midst of our adult reasoning, we tend to forget perhaps the most important role of the Creator in our lives. God is in fact Creator, Sustainer, Comforter and Peace. God is also Heavenly Parent. Made in the image of God, indeed we are fearfully and wonderfully made.

With the physical winds of seasonal change, may we feel the closeness of God’s parenting touch. May we allow God’s spirit to make contact with our busied lives and invite the Holy to share with us tender moments. May we sense an intimacy with our Creator that we have yet to experience. If we find a moment or two to pause, I just bet our Heavenly Mother has a story to tell and a few verses of life’s greatest song to sing to us.

L