At 11.30pm on Wednesday night, 22 August 2007, Rosie Jillian Fawssett came into the world, and my life will never be the same again. Months of pregnancy, reading books, attending antenatal classes and hearing stories from friends and family had not fully prepared me for this experience. I had been told it verged on a spiritual encounter, and on reflection I now have to agree.
In the current absence of my normal spiritual disciples, I am taking this chance to recollect some of the revelations I have gained about God from this first week with my firstborn daughter.
Rosie was quite awake right after she was born, so we were able to have a very early dad-daughter talk. It was not until I looked into her dark, beady little eyes to introduce myself that the tears started to fall, and when I turned to thank God for such a wonderful gift I was a blubbering mess. The emotions are so hard to explain - wonder and awe, relief, utter thankfulness, and deep deep love. I did not think it was possible feel so close to and blessed by the creator of the universe!
I attended church on Sunday without my girls, partly to see my friends but largely because I wanted to be in my spiritual home to worship God. One of the songs we sang had the line "... your eyes are on this child...", words I had breezed over dozens of times but now they had a whole new meaning. Like me looking into Rosie's cot, God looks down on me with love and care I cannot comprehend.
Singing children's songs has been a newfound joy, from 'Three Blind Mice' to 'Jesus loves me'. Rarely have I pondered the words of kids worship songs so deeply before but the sweet simplicity has refreshed my understanding of what God really wants from his children. Ironically, the smarter and stronger we become the less we long for and need the Lord - how sad and wrong.
Finally, the other day Merryn suggested I read story books while she fed Rosie. I read all the little books we had until all that was left was the Bible. I turned to Luke 2 and read the Christmas story of baby Jesus. Never before had I grasped the joy of God after Jesus was born - a dad like me he was so excited he was busting to tell the world. The angels before the shepherds was our sovereign God's text message or email or Facebook entry - MY BABY IS BORN!
Rosie has taught me many new lessons about my God, and oh how I love him for it!
Intellectual Virtues
3 weeks ago
2 comments:
Hi there from a sunny warm, (for once !) England. Welcome to the fascinating world of the blog.
We all began last September, and it has been an on-line community for us.
Matt was called Free Lance Nerd, so refs to him are as FLN. I am Teapot(!) and Steve is Timelord.
Heidi is Mrs FLN.
I've added you to my blog list of contacts, and now I can leave you comments!!
Welcome to your wonderful new baby daughter, there is nothing as miraculous as holding a new baby in your arms. And marvelling at the tiny fingers, toes, the many, many ways they can screw up their faces!!
You will fins a photo of you and Merryn on my blog for August 26th about Facebook and why I still refuse to join!!! Ha ha!!
well, every blessing to all of you, we think of you lots and are this time hoping to make the trip Down Under in 2009. Watch this space............Happy blogging!!!
PS!! CLick on teapot and you can then find your way to my blog, (if you didn't know!!)
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