I had an argument with a guest speaker at our church a few months ago. The conversation went like this:
Me: So you have two college age boys?
Him: Yes, and these are your boys, how old are they?
Me: Four and Two
Him: Keep in mind that they grow so fast
Me: Yeah... I know
Him: O... No you don't
Me: I know
Him: No you don't
Me: I know
Him: Trust me, you don't
Months passed.... I think he is right. I won't realize how fast they grow until they are grown but this I know: babies don't keep
Max @ 1 month old
Babies Don't Keep
Mother, O' Mother, come shake out your cloth,
Empty the dustpan, poison the moth.
Hang out the washing, make up the bed,
Sew on a button and butter the bread.
Where is the mother whose house is so shocking?
She's up in the nursery, blissfully rocking.
Oh, I've grown as shiftless as Little Boy Blue,
Lullaby, rockaby, lullaby loo.
Dishes are waiting and bills are past due,
Pat-a-cake, darling, and peek - peekaboo.
The shopping's not done and there's nothing for stew,
And out in the yard there's a hullabaloo.
But I'm playing Kanga and this is my Roo.
Look! Aren't his eyes the most wonderful hue?
Lullaby, rockaby, lullaby loo.
The cleaning and scrubbing can wait till tomorrow,
But children grow up, as I've learned to my sorrow.
So quiet down cobwebs; Dust go to sleep!
I'm rocking my baby and babies don't keep.
~ Ruth Hulbert Hamilton
Me and the boys two years ago:
Last month:
Max@4 years and 9 months
Since Max was two, I took him to pick up Che Hung & Mei Ik when they joined the Vacation Bible School at the church nearby our place. I had a teary eyes when I dropped him for his first VBS last month. How time flies, my chubby baby is now a kindergartner.
Wes @ 2 years and 3 months
Ever since he was very little, Wes does not like to be left at the church nursery. He would start crying when we walk into the church. Either one of us has to stay in the nursery. We don't have baby room in our church so we often miss the worship and the sermon. The nearby church with baby room looks very tempting to us so we prayed and prayed and prayed. We came to the decision that God wants us to stay in the church to love and serve for the church is our family. As for the sermon we can always listen to great messages online and as for worship the Bible is clear that our spiritual act of worship should be "our everyday, ordinary life—our sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering." Romans 12:1, The Message
Just a little over a month ago, when he was moved to toddler class, I told him, "Mama has to go to mama's class. Wesley stays here okay. I will pick you up later." At first he said "No" and holding my hand tight but then he slowly let me go. I got tears in my eyes when I left the room. My baby is a little boy now. Since that day he has been going to his Sunday School class without our companion.
Sally Clarkson in her book: Mission of Motherhood shares:
"Six years passed between my third child, Nathan, and my fourth child, Joy. I had had three miscarriages and didn't think I would ever have another baby. By the time Joy came, I had lived through the early youth of my other three children and had seen that they really did grow up quickly. Finally, by experience, I understoodd that the dependent stage of early childhood was only for a season. I could see how important it was to enjoy each day and treasure these moments of early life with my children, because the years did pass quickly.
How I wished I could take back all impatient words I have said, all the guilt I had imposed on my children just because they were acting their age and taking up my time. Fortunately, they remember mostly the good times and not my immature responses to their normal behavior. Having made my peace with the reality that giving my children time is a part of my service to them and to God, I was able to relax and open myself to the joys of being with them - partly because I have made the choice to embrace the task of mothering, partly because I have come to terms with the natural demands children make on my time, but mostly because my attitude has changed."
How I wished I could take back all impatient words I have said, all the guilt I had imposed on my children just because they were acting their age and taking up my time. Fortunately, they remember mostly the good times and not my immature responses to their normal behavior. Having made my peace with the reality that giving my children time is a part of my service to them and to God, I was able to relax and open myself to the joys of being with them - partly because I have made the choice to embrace the task of mothering, partly because I have come to terms with the natural demands children make on my time, but mostly because my attitude has changed."
Babies and childhood don't keep, they really don't. God please help me remember this and get my priority straight every day.
Beautifully said, Ci!
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