It seems crazy that Luke is three months old already. I remember the night he was born like it was yesterday. I mean, who wouldn't remember 19 hours of labor! Although, I think my wife's memories could be filled with varied emotions compared to mine, and for good reason!
There are a few thematic things that I have learned over these past three months. I am incredibly thankful for them. I continue to believe that everything on this earth points back to God. Be it a bride, a son, a house, friends, anything at all... you can learn the character of God through all of these things.
Christ's selfless life has eternally changed my life.
The biggest thing I have learned is the idea of being selfless. As a caveat, I must note that my wife is infinitely more selfless than I, and I am often in awe of this very fact. Before Luke was born, it seemed like life was so busy. Truth be told, I was filling my life with as much as I could, because I could. Now, life has been minimized to only the most important things so that I can be available for my family. To put it as JR Vassar once taught at a men's retreat, fathers have a first shift and a second shift. God has called me to lead this family as best I can, which requires a selfless mindset so that I can take care of my family. Things that used to matter... simply don't matter anymore. When exhausted, all I can turn to is Christ's example on the cross, where he bore all my sin, was pummeled, put to death. All for me. If I can't be committed to my family, I'll never begin to comprehend Christ's selflessness on the cross for all who call on his name.
A baby thirsting for milk and us as Christians.
Luke is a happy boy. Unless you pull the milk away, then he is pretty frustrated until he gets more! He wants to make sure we give him a full stomach so that he can be healthy. What could our lives be like if we truly sought after the Word, prayed and had a dialog with God everyday, striving for more and more so that we can grow in our spiritual health? He's given us apps for goodness sake... yet we still find other things to do that offer no growth at all! Those things are okay, but our concern with our spiritual health must increase to be like a baby with his milk.
The simplest things seem to make parents the happiest when it comes to a baby.
Rolling over. Smiling. Laughing. Burping. Sleeping. Sleeping 8 hours. This list meant almost nothing to me before Luke was born. Now, if any of these things happen, it's worth banking it as a story for later with family and friends. The seemingly simplest things are like the greatest thing in the world! What if this was the case for what we can be like when God provides for us. Be it a blessing of a relationship, engaging in meaningful conversation with someone, rain, or even the very breath we breathe... what if we wanted to tell God about our gratitude for all of our blessings? Can you imagine if we thanked God and praised him for every small thing, rather than just for the large things like a new job, friendship, etc?
Luke has brought so many blessings and so many insights to God's love for me. I hope I can teach him more and more about the Lord so that he can fully experience the life God has for him.
I'm a lucky man.
Here's a video I made that highlights our first three months with Luke. We are incredibly blessed.
