Three-Month Birthday

It is hard to believe, but today my little darling is a whole three months old. Not to speak in cliches, but it really does seem like yesterday that I was standing over that warmer in the delivery room as that little pink wiggle-worm was screaming her head off. Here we stand, though, three months later—oh, so much has changed.

I suppose that the most consistent, lasting feature of this whole process is—well—constant change. We plan and toil and prepare and scurry about in an effort to establish stable routines for Princess. But despite our best efforts, the very nature of life changes these routines on a daily basis. Don’t get me wrong—the routine is very important and it makes most days work out nicely, but one should not look for infinite security in the routine. No, just because she slept peacefully through her afternoon nap yesterday doesn’t guarantee such success today. When it comes to Sadie, change is always afoot—and what big feet she has (sorry, I’m a little silly).

I can remember our elation in the hospital when Sadie would take half an ounce of nourishment. A few weeks later, two ounces seemed like an all-you-can-eat buffet. These days, six or seven ounces barely do the job. That’s some crazy change! The first day she was born, she weighed seven pounds and two ounces—a pretty average weight. In just three short months, she has almost doubled in size! Could you imagine if you doubled in size in three months? That’s incredible!

I suppose that what I’m saying is that the newness of Sadie’s life produces a greater degree of constant change. Her newness begets more newness.

She grows so fast that sometimes she gets one wear out of an outfit. Her expressions transform almost daily. One smile from my darling and I’m mush; but only a few weeks ago, she wasn’t able to smile—unless it was gas. Though still wobbly, her ability to hold her head up seems to improve with each passing moment. She is so much more aware now of who’s in the room and follows objects with her eyes with utter brilliance. In the beginning, she barely opened her eyes at all.

I’ve had to accept the fact that I shouldn’t get comfortable with her at any one stage because sooner than later, she’s going to change again. And although this prospect excites me concerning things like diapers and formula, I still cherish the wonder of every single one of her daily little miracles. I’m like a Sadie sportscaster. I know her stats and I can call the play-by-play of her growth, bragging to onlookers about what new thing she’s picked up this week. Her constant change—her repeated newness—is the fuel to the fire of my enthusiasm.

I can’t imagine an experience more effective at revealing to my heart the nature of newness—not just a one-time newness, but a consistent newness that emerges each day. That’s what our lives in Christ are supposed to be. This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! II Corinthians 5: 17 (NLT) The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” The “has begun” part is very open-ended. The possibilities are endless.

Though I say it with some level of sentimental sadness, I must admit that my one-week old Sadie no longer exists. She is now a new person. She’ll be a new person tomorrow too. II Corinthians 4: 16 says that our inward person is “being renewed day by day.” Yep, now I kind of get it. Our new birth in Christ has spawned a miraculous process in our lives where within new life grows and emerges on a daily basis.

Hey I hope that in three months, I’m noticeably and distinctively different. I pray that my inward man has grown so explosively that the Father stands over me and proudly quotes the stats of my journey.

So may be we embrace life’s potential today because yesterday “is gone—a new life has begun!