Building Babies
One of the most amazing things to me as a mom of five is the fact that all my children think so differently. One looks at a cloud and sees an ice cream cone floating in the sky, another identifies its scientific properties. Yet another begins to cry because the cloud looks dark and she fears rain will ruin our trip to the pool. When God knit my children together in the secret place (Psalm 139), He certainly infused them with dramatically different thinking styles.
A few days ago, I was reminded that my preschooler’s mind runs on a different track. Industrious and determined, Joshua sees the world through the eyes of hard work. He is the only child I’ve ever had who not only notices, but also attempts to fix the cracks in our driveway. His green eyes beam if he’s given a job to do- whether it’s hauling out the garbage or pulling weeds in the raspberry patch. Undoubtedly, his filter for life is unique.
I was changing Maggie’s diaper when Joshua suddenly noticed that his baby sister wasn’t anatomically the same as he. He questioned their disparity and I simply replied, “God makes boys and girls different.”
Not content with my six-word answer, Josh asked “But why?”
“Well,” I explained matter-of-factly, “God has given you all the parts you need to be a daddy someday and He has given Maggie everything she needs to be a mommy someday, too.” Satisfied, my three-year-old wandered back to his tools and began to play again.
A few days later when Rob arrived home from work, Joshua said, “Daddy,can you help me build a baby?”
Rob looked at Josh in confusion. “Do you want me to help you build blocks?” he clarified.
“No,” Josh replied, “I want you to help me build a BABY. Mommy says I have all the pieces.” Flashing earnest eyes at my befuddled husband, Joshua pleaded,“I just need your help, Daddy.”
I smothered a giggle. I guess someday had arrived! I made a mental note to use more accurate time indicators when talking to my young son about things that may happen in the distant future. Then I promised my poor husband that I would explain the misunderstanding later. Finally, I hauled the legos out of the closet and invited Joshua to join me in a more reasonable building project.
As we stacked the colorful blocks into a tall tower, I gently let my little worker know that only God can build babies. And I assured my young son that His Heavenly Father wouldn’t put the pieces together until Joshua was all grown up and married to a MARVELOUS wife!
Perhaps my simple anatomy lesson flopped, but my son’s unique line of thinking gifted me with a poignant reminder. I, too, need a Daddy to help me build my babies, a Heavenly Father to be precise. I may have all the pieces- healthy children, God’s Word, 24 hours each day, and wise mentors to lead me- but only my Daddy in Heaven can take all of those pieces and build them into a masterpiece of life that brings Him glory.
Blessings as you build!
Today’s Treasure: God made my life complete when I placed all the pieces before him.
-Psalm 18:20a, The Message
