A shower for Sara

Yesterday evening we threw a baby showerfor my sister Sara.

It was a lot of fun. Giving baby stuff is fun.  I was able to give a small devotional at the shower. I do better when I have something to go from...so I typed it up...which makes it really nice and easy for me to share it with you too.
If you were there and have already heard it...thanks for laughing in all the right places... and sorry there is nothing new for you here today!


They say when you become a mother you go a little crazy. Most like to sooth you with kind words and phrases like, “don’t worry, it will pass.” and “ it just takes some time to adjust…you will be back to normal in no time!”

They are just being nice… and they are lying. I had my first child 2 and a half years ago and I still am slightly crazy… I am my mothers youngest child… and she is definitely not what I would call normal…
It starts when you first realize you are pregnant. You start doing weird things, like leaving the house without shoes, or throwing water into the trashcan instead of the sink. It only escalates and becomes so weird that you accept your crazy as normal… and so do others, soon no one, not even you, will remember what you are “really” like.

After that precious baby is born you do things you never would have done before becoming a mom. In the first few weeks of motherhood:
You will wear a shirt with spit up on it out in public. You might do it 2 or 3 days in a row. It is even possible you will pick that shirt up off the dirty clothes pile and sniff it, spray it with perfume or fabreeze and wear it out again…because it fits!
You will wear things that do not really match just because they fit and are semi-clean… and you will not care if they really are either one!
It is possible to take 2 or 3 naps a day and still feel like you have run an Iron Man marathon.
When going to the store for a couple items, it will be reminiscent of packing for a European vacation.
Poop becomes a normal conversation topic at anytime or place. Dinner…talk about poop. In the store and see a friend…talk about poop…
It is possible to go into the kitchen for something, and your husband will find you standing by the sink in tears…when asked what’s wrong, your response is a very honest…I don’t know.

Not only do your actions become crazy, but your hearing goes a bit wonky too.
People will tell you… you are glowing. You will hear… you look a little sweaty.
Someone might comment on how good you are looking… you hear, I never realized how big she was when she was pregnant!
A comment about your baby being a good eater will have you thinking everyone thinks she is fat. (and she probably is).
Many will comment that your baby is beautiful…to which you will think “My baby is the prettiest baby in all the world!”

This new train of thought…the crazy-in-love with your new baby, will not end, in fact, the older that baby gets the more in love you will become… it might plateau around puberty, I am not sure, but the first roll of the eyes or back talk might not promote a great surge of love like the cooing and the first smiles…just a guess.

It is because of this crazy love you have for your baby that all the previous crazy and kooky behavior becomes acceptable. Because, for your kids, you would do anything. It becomes even more amazing when you realize that the suped-up, insane love you have for your child is but a vague shadow of the love that our Heavenly Father has for us.
Because of Gods love for us we have been forgiven. We have gained more then we could have ever hoped for…because of a Parents crazy love.

Because of His love for us we can now go to Him when we are in the most need.
When it is 3 in the morning and you swear you are the only one on the planet who is awake and you are so tired you could cry… God loves you so much He will give you strength. (Philippians 4:13 I can do everything through him who gives me strength.)

When you stare at your little one and wonder where you got the insane idea you were able to take care of another human being for more then a few hours… He loves you so much He will give you wisdom and guidance. (Proverbs 3:5-6 (New International Version)
Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.)

When you stay awake at night wondering if the baby is Ok in the next room… He loves you so much, He will give you peace ( Philippians 4:6-7 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.)

When your emotions and hormones seem to get the better of you and you feel like you are teetering on the edge…. He loves you so much He will give you rest. (Matthew 11:28 "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.)

God loves you so much He will provide what you need when you need it… all you need to do is ask. He graciously provides for us and our little ones. Because really… they are not our little ones… they are His, and He loves them with an even more crazy love then we could muster up. We are, by ourselves, fully incapable of being good parents. But because of Gods crazy love for us and the provisions that He has made, we can go to Him and ask for help…because once you are a mommy, you need all the help you can get.