a sweet memory

On Sunday I sat in our church service with all three kids. Rory was out for most of the service talking with a friend, so I held Elsie on my hip and Ivar stood on the chair next to me wanting me to hold his hand. Then he went to kids church but Elsie decided to stay. I took Hattie out of her car seat and before I could put her on my lap, Elsie had climbed on my lap so that I had both girls on me, Elsie proudly "holding" Hattie. We stayed seated and sang songs and clapped our hands and I felt blissfully happy.

Then the Lord brought a sweet memory to my mind. When I was little I lived for Sunday mornings so that I could go to church to see all of my favorite babies and toddlers. I had some serious favorites: Christine, Jonathan, Sarah and Joel, and topping the list was Naomi. Those last three were the kids in the other pastor's family and I love, love, loved them. Naomi in particular was basically my best friend from her birth until age five or so when they moved away. And I must have been nine or ten when she was born. (Her mom was also my piano teacher, and Naomi was my greatest reason for sticking it out during those years.)

Anyway, God reminded me of this season of life and how every Sunday I would watch the mom's with little babies all throughout the church service. I even followed a mom I didn't know very well out of the service once, when her baby was crying, and offered to hold it for her! She declined, but I was so earnest. I remember dreaming about having my own baby or even just that my brother or sister would have one that I could hold during the service. I just wanted a baby in my hands.

So this past Sunday, while I sat in church with my own redhead on my lap, with my baby stacked on top, my heart completely burst open. I felt so grateful and happy. And  I worshiped the Lord with so much gladness.

There is no season I can imagine that is more fulfilled than this one. I am tired. My patience is tried each day. But this joy and gladness for these little lives in my care cannot be topped. I have waited for this season for a long, long time and I am so glad it is here.