Slowing Down Time

Well, we did it. We celebrated our baby's first birthday. We made it through the early days of getting to know this new little stranger in the house. We made it through the bleary-eyed days following the long sleepless nights. We made it through 6 months of me living dairy-free, and without ice cream, Mama is not a happy camper. We made it through one week of hell when we feared for her life while she battled a dangerous strain of influenza in the intensive care unit. We made it through the myriad worries of a mother concerned over every bite of new foods she ate, every new milestone reached on time or late, every new tooth, and every encounter with her older siblings who think she's more of a toy than a complete human being.

I never knew, before having children, that making it through each and every day was a victory, that just marking the passing of time was an accomplishment. A member of our congregation recently celebrated his 100th birthday, and Matt and I were talking about what you say to someone who has reached that elusive milestone birthday. "Congratulations for still being here!" "You're still breathing! Hooray!" But seriously, those are the things I want to say to our dear daughter. We made it, baby girl! Hooray!

And aren't we all thankful for that? That we are each still breathing, still here, still alive and kicking... I am so grateful for every day that I have another chance to do things right, even though on every other day I've messed something up. Another day to pray for faithfulness and for good work. Another year to grow and serve. Another decade to become more of what God has intended for us: to be in relationship with Jesus and with one another.

So, thank God that we are all still here, still breathing, and alive in Christ. Now, if only he could slow down time a little...