One of the first things I thought when my wife told me she was pregnant was, “What are we going to do?” We were trying to have a child, so it wasn’t a shock, but nothing can prepare you for this life-altering news. And if that wasn't enough, I am now finding out that I had no clue just how difficult the thought of having a baby is.
Yep, you read that last sentence correctly. Just the thought of having a baby puts me into an anxious bubble. I wonder things like, “Which room will we use for the nursery? do we really need more than two sets of sheets for the crib? how much will the crib cost?” And the list goes on of the questions that are filling my head. I think that the worst part of all is that the baby isn’t even here yet and I am already a mess! So, what will it be like when he arrives?
I think about what a big responsibility it is to bring this child up not only as a “good kid”, but also the responsibility of raising him up as a faithful Christian. Then, that thought sends me down a huge rabbit hole of thoughts about how I don’t want him to have this trait of mine and how I need to remember all the trouble that I got into as a kid. These reasons and more make me wonder how we’re going to do this.
Some help came to me this morning in Jeremiah 29:11 which says, “'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future. '”
I get into these moods and I forget that God’s plan for me is greater than my own. It doesn’t matter how many sheets we need for the crib and it doesn’t matter which room we put the baby in (unless you ask my wife) because God has blessed us with a child that we get to bring into this world. I don’t know every detail of the path that I am on, but if the end is “hope and a future” then I am just fine resting in it.
Joe Brackemyre, IDES Volunteer Coordinator