Hey Brother,
If you have been following the blog lately, you know that I have a baby girl on the way. It’s crazy for me to think that in just a few short months we’ll have a new member in our family. Wow!
Before I had my first child, I’d get really stressed out over even the idea of having kids. However, after three years of marriage, I could tell that my wife had come down with a severe case of “baby eyes.” You know, that twinkle in the corner of a woman’s eyes that sparkles just a bit brighter when a stroller passes by or when a newborn baby cries out like the coo of a dove (or velociraptor if you knew my son as an infant). Sometimes I wonder if God puts that twinkle in their eyes to warn husbands that their lives are about to change.
Most women I know get so excited about a new baby. Even the idea of a new baby makes them glow, but like I said, it gave me more than a little bit of anxiety. I’m sure a few of you out there feel the same way. Some of you may be wondering why the idea of a baby would be so stressful. Why? Why???
It’s not just a baby – it’s a new life!
Sure, babies are cute and all, but they only stay that way for a short time. Soon they become toddlers, then kids, then (Lord help us) teenagers, and eventually (if we don’t screw them up too much) they become well-adjusted adults. So why did it cause me so much stress? Again, for the men in the rafters… it’s not just a baby – it’s a new life!
Whew! Okay, now that I’ve dusted off those old fears and tucked them away, let me give any expecting dads out there some good news. Yes, it’s a lot of responsibility, but the “new life” part is actually the good part. Sure, babies are cute (and you don’t have to hide your snacks from them), but they really don’t do much. They just kind of sit there. They get way more exciting once you can actually start having adventures with them.
My son just reached a new toddler stage. I like to call it the “bug stage.” He just discovered (thanks to some rainy days) that there are these creepy crawly little animals you can find in the dirt and under rocks. He particularly likes pill bugs (a.k.a. rollie pollies). The other day we spent a good 30 minutes looking for bugs. We talked about what the bugs were doing, why they were hiding, and the best way to hold them without hurting them. I got to be part of a whole new world opening up to him.
The other morning, we were having breakfast together. We started talking about his new baby sister who’s on the way. I mentioned how small babies are and how he would have to take care of his sister. Suddenly his eyes furrowed and he dipped his little head looking all sad. It was then I realized, he was worried about all the responsibility of being a big brother!
I quickly reassured him. “Don’t worry, Mommy and Daddy are here to take care of the baby, but you get to help. And you can teach her fun things!” I went on to tell him how she’s never seen a kitty before, so he could teach her all about our cats. I told him he could take her to the beach and show her how to make sand castles. He perked up and his eyes widened. “And the park?!” he exclaimed. He got all excited that he could show her how good of a climber he is. “That will be fun, Dadda, that will be fun,” he said matter-of-factly as if reassuring himself and me that a new baby sister could, in fact, be fun.
As he grows, so does our relationship. He’s no longer “just a baby.” He’s a big boy, a bike rider, and he’s a person with his own dreams, fears, and wonders. Having a baby is not getting a thing, it’s creating a new life, someone that we can teach, love, and have fellowship with.
As Christians, we often use phrases such as “new life in Christ.” When Jesus becomes our Lord, we are “born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever” (I Peter 1:23). When this happens, we become “a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (II Corinthians 5:17).
We become children of God. He is our Heavenly Father. He wants us to learn and grow in Him. Why? So He can have fellowship with us. Sin separated us from a relationship with God. Jesus’s atonement brought us back and made us new. It’s like we are brand new babies, children of God, and we get to enjoy our new life with Him! So Brother, whether it’s a new baby or a new member in the family of God, new life is definitely something worth celebrating!
-Kristopher Galuska
Family Radio Staff