...and lo i am with you always, even until the ends of the earth. Matthew 28:20

Ghetto Princess, FGM and Jack Sparrow

Ghetto Princess, FGM and Jack Sparrow

FairyGodChildren

FairyGodChildren
FGM and AA

Wednesday, July 18, 2007

babies

what is it about a baby? the sweetness? the innocence? the softness? the purity? what is it that makes us gush, makes us change the intonation of our voice? or, in my case these days, what makes me tear up at the sight or thought of a baby? and a sick or dying baby--well there are no words. the pain is almost unbearable for those going through it. why do so many want to have them? why are so many devastated when they don't? what is it about a baby?

marian, a healthy, happy baby, said one of her first words today. she is a baby in nashville, the youngest of three. her mother was ecstatic. the twin premies in the NICU in Anchorage seem to be making progress, but you can hear the stress in the parents' messages. they were born so early, so they have so many medical needs. i think of the baby who has been in St. Jude, almost since birth and the hope in his parents' messages about his healing. there is a newborn in D.C., born on the 12th, healthy, to one of my friends. she says he is a "sweetie pie". another friend had twin girls on the 11th. they are in Richmond. a friend in birmingham writes that her twins ( seven months--a boy and a girl) have begun communicating with one another in their crib. she expressed joy and excitement in the thought of them interacting with one another. i had the joy of holding one of my best friend's from high school babies the other night in Memphis. he crawled all over me and settled into my lap so i could read him a story. i also got to peak in on a friend's from college baby while he was sleeping. precious. sheer delight. the thought, sight, smell, touch of a baby is life-altering. what is that?

i sometimes think it's because they just came from God. it's the closest thing we get to a real-live angel. there they are, without sin, without fault--perfect in God's eyes ; and for a brief moment, perfect in man's. God never loses sight of the beauty and perfection and love of His children, but man does. man quickly forgets what is pure, what is right, what is true, what is lovely and good. (Phillipians 4:8) man forgets, but God...God never forgets. He never fails. His love endures forever. 1Corinthians 13; Psalm 136

so to think, that our God would come here in the form of a babe, the most innocent, vulnerable, pure, weak of all creatures; to come here and experience what we experience. the love that took. the perfect sacrifice. to become sin, pain, dispair, ugliness. to take perfection and become imperfect...for you...and for me. now, all he asks is that we love as He loved us. it's easy for us to love babies. they are pure; they can't hurt us. but, He calls us to love all of His children, even the "big babies". so, how do we do that? a baby is helpless. a person who is rude at the grocery store can help it. a person who takes advantage of us or fails us in some way is not innocent. so, love is harder for us, but not to God. to God, we are still His babies, still His children. everytime He looks at us, He feels the way He did when He first saw us, first created us. He loves us no matter what...no matter what. amazing love.

...love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind. And you must love your neighbor just as much as you love yourself." Luke 10:17

...love each other just as much as I love you. your strong love for each other will prove to the world that you are my disciples." John 13: 34-35

If I had the gift of being able to speak in other langauges without learning them, and could speak in every language there is in all of heaven and earth, but didn't love others, I would only bemaking noise. .. (If I ) knew everything about everything, but didn't love others, what good would it do? ...If I gave everything to poor people...but did not love others, it would be of no value whatever. 1 Corinthians 13: 1-3

love is very patient and kind, never jealous or envious, never boastful or proud, never haughty or selfish or rude. Love does not demand its own way. It is not irritable or touchy. It does not hold grudges and will hardly even notice when others do it wrong. It is never glad about injustice, but rejoices when truth wins out. if you love someone you will be loyal to him no matter what the cost. you will always believe in him, always expect the best of him, and always stand your ground in defending him...love goes on forever. 1Corinthians 13: 4-8

Pray for the babies, "big" and small.

my friend renee has a new lullaby album out
check out the new lullaby websitehttp://reneeandjeremymusic.com






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