"If I am to spend my whole life being transformed by the good news of Jesus, I must learn how grand, sweeping truths - doctrine, theology, ecclesiology, Christology - rub against the texture of an average day. How I spend this ordinary day in Christ is how I will spend my Christian life"
Tish Harrison Warren, Liturgy of the Ordinary
In part 1, I wrote about seeing Christ at play in the ordinary moments of daily life with my 4-month-old daughter. I recorded multiple instances of the ordinary moments of being a new dad rubbing up against the gates of heaven and causing me to see how Christ was using these moments to disciple me - to make me more like Him. My daughter is almost 6 months old and now that she’s able to control her head, recognize mom and dad, and just started rolling over, I’m seeing Christ at play in many new places. Here are more examples.
Unclean
I’ve gotten used to my daughter’s spit-ups, diaper blow-outs, and random bites and licks that come with snuggles and holding her. You either power through it, keeping your gag reflex at bay for another epic diaper change, or you just grow so accustomed to it that it doesn’t phase you anymore. This is your kid and she needs to be cleaned. Yet, when it’s someone else’s kid that same instinct often doesn’t kick in. He or she needs to go back to mom or dad to handle the mess. The parent can handle their son or daughter’s mess and wipe away their uncleanness.
“and provide for those who grieve in Zion- to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor.” Isaiah 61:3
TEARS
A few days ago someone I followed on Twitter asked what is one of our go-to verses in life. I replied with Revelation 21:4 -
“'He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death' or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."
The next morning, my daughter woke up seemingly frightened by a dream she had. What a nearly 6-month-old dreams about that frightens her I don’t know, but whatever it was did quite the job on her little mind. As I picked her up and snuggled her into my shoulder her sobs slowed but she was still upset. So I sat down on the nearby rocking chair, sat her on my knee so she could see my face, and wiped away the tears that had dripped down to her cheek. As a father, I cannot even hope to be able to wipe away every tear she has, but she has THE Father who promised to do just that.
HABITS
I recently read Habits of the Household by Justin Whitmel Early (link here), and one thing I noticed immediately in the book is that my wife and I already have habits that our daughter will pick up on by simply being in our house and around us. Are they good habits?
Are they habits that seek to make much of Jesus or do they make much of our own foibles and inadequacies? We want to raise our daughter, not in a legalistic and stifling household, but in one that instills rhythms of grace. I want Christ magnified in her, not a copy of Christ magnified (or, God forbid, not magnified) in me. This forced us to reconsider how we were going to do a normal day in our household and implement grace habits. Because if we are idle on this, someone or something else will disciple our daughter.
“My son, keep your father's command and do not forsake your mother's teaching. Bind them always on your heart; fasten them around your neck. When you walk, they will guide you; when you sleep, they will watch over you; when you awake, they will speak to you. For this command is a lamp, this teaching is a light, and correction and instruction are the way to life,” Proverbs 6:20-23.
BABBLE
My daughter has really started to pick up the babble. She’s even starting to babble phrases like “mum, mum, mum”. From everything we’ve read, it’s important to talk back to her every time this happens because it begins to teach her the art of conversation. What she is babbling is incoherent, but she’s communicating. When it happened this morning it reminded me she’s doing what I will sometimes do with my heavenly Father. And He is probably just as proud as I was with my daughter that I’m attempting to communicate to Him in any way I can:
“Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.” Romans 8:26