A New Life
Posted by DAVID BC TAN under: Guest Writer; Parenting on 26 Oct 2002.
GUEST WRITER: Celine Leslie
With the arrival of our newborn baby boy Jonty (“God has given”), our family has embarked on a new adventure in the unpredictable and exciting journey of life. For me, being able to hold the evidence of new life has been a vital part of leaving the past behind and forging ahead with investing in the future of another soul that needs nurturing. While Kyle (in heaven for almost 2 years now) will always be lovingly remembered in our family, the fact that our destinies have taken separate paths does not hurt quite so badly now.
What happens to homeschooling when a baby arrives? Those with babies will testify to the planning that mothers go through while still pregnant, wondering what the best course of action is. Having had babies before assures me that it is possible to homeschool with a baby. Nevertheless the temptation is to worry and fret over the other children missing out on education while mother is too exhausted from lack of sleep or looking after a colicky baby.
The truth is that the children have had a wonderful time bonding with their new sibling. Meanwhile, Dad has been home most of the time, having a ball playing backyard cricket or taking them on outings. Being school holidays, the children have also been taking advantage of free activities on offer at this time. Most of all, they have had the invaluable and precious experience of caring for a newborn baby and making sacrifices to help mum with household duties. Formal bookwork takes a backseat when these life lessons (which don’t come by very often) are being learnt. Children do not always remember what they are taught. However, certain experiences leave indelible marks upon their minds. When the children look back at their childhood, they will remember these times with fondness.
Without the convenience of having relatives close by, a few worries did cross our minds. God, however, had already had His plan in mind. Labour started only when all commitments had ended and the calendar was empty. The delivery happened during the day, ensuring that the children only had to be at friends’ for a few hours. The hospital staff was kind enough to allow a 4-night stay, allowing for adequate rest and recovery. Since coming home, all my meals have been unexpectedly catered for by wonderful friends. Just when one supply ends, another arrives, and it hasn’t finished yet. The bottom line – God looks after us.
Which should not be a surprise. When I gaze at Jonty, I am amazed at the trust of a baby (Ps 22:9 – You made me trust while on my mother’s breast). The baby does not question the ability of the mother to care for him. Jonty does not worry about the supply of milk. If he did question it, he would find out that God, in His goodness, has made the law of supply and demand such that the supply would always be there as long as Jonty needed it, even for a few years. Yet the evidence of a few years’ supply of milk would be lacking. How often we wish to see the evidence of God’s provision instead of trusting God to supply according to our need. If only we could be unquestioningly contented to suck out of God’s perfect provision, believing that He would be far more able than the world’s most perfect mother to give us the very best care in every part of our lives.
You can see that it has been a time of learning for all of us. There are undoubtedly many more lessons to be learnt as we go through the joys and tribulations of parenting this new life. Meanwhile, we thank God that He is the Author of life and the Maker of all things new.
About the author: Celine Leslie who resides in Adelaide was blessed with the birth of Jonty on 23 Sept 2002. Congratulations to the parents, Mark and Celine!
Comments