Currently Listening to:Be a Father to Her by Joel Engle
When we are given great and wonderful blessings their are no strings attached. Usually we're given these blessings because we're in the will that God intended for us.
Though nothing is expected in return we do come to find out that the greater the blessing - the greater the responsibility. This isn't a bad thing my any means, but it can be overwhelming.
When Maleah came into our lives we experienced many different emotions. We realized on the first day we brought her home that she was our responsibility. No more nurses coming to take her all night and feed her when she cries. No more pages to the nurse to bring things. We were on our own.
We felt both excited and scared (as any first time parents would feel) as we fumbled through diaper changes, 2AM feedings, and screaming fits. We're now 5 week veterans and we have come to learn that we still don't know what we're doing, but at least we feel more comfortable doing it.
It is amazing to watch this beautiful little girl continue to develop mentally and physically right before our eyes. Those things with little help from us will take care of themselves. We don't have to stretch her to make her grow, but we do have to give her food and let her rest.
We don't have to pump info into her head like a computer, but we do need to give her books to read, good tv programs to watch, and creative outlets to express herself.
She'll learn to walk, talk, run, jump, and get into trouble on her own. We'll just need to be there to help her go in the right direction and not say anything embarrassing!
One lesson she needs to learn from us should be the most important. She needs to not only hear our profession of love and devotion to Jesus, but to see it in action. She needs to see us praying. She needs to hear us read the Bible. She needs to realize that everytime the doors are open we're in church. We need to raise her to love God the way we love Him.
The world is a scary place to raise a child. God help us. That's not just a saying, but our prayer.
Matt and I had our second premarital counseling session yesterday and we talked about having and raising children. Just wanted to let you know that you and Miranda were at the front of both of out minds, and this post confirms what we were saying about you. We hope that we have the strength and foresight to raise our little ones the same way that you are preparing to do with Maleah. We are so impressed with you and so proud of you both.
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