Monday, August 12, 2013

It's a Miracle!

My Newest Little Miracle
There is so much excitement and joy that comes with welcoming a new baby into the family.  There is the thrill of, finally, no longer being pregnant.  Those nine long months seem to be never ending.  But then the moment comes when they place that swishy, curled-up, vernix covered little lump of love on your chest and your entire life changes.  Like Dr. Seuss describes in How the Grinch Stole Christmas, your heart grows three sizes that day.  Now I'm not suggesting that any of us started as the grinch when we become a mother for the first or fifth time.  I'm simply saying that your capacity to love increases in some amazing, miraculous way!  And really, isn't that the best way to describe what has just taken place? - A MIRACLE!! 

During my pregnancy I taught an anatomy class at our homeschool co-op to a group of 3rd-6th graders.  It was a blast!  Each week we tracked the growth and development of the baby growing and developing in me, along with learning about all the body systems and senses.  Perfect timing for this anatomy teacher.  I got to show them first hand God's most amazing miracle-the human body-as my belly got larger.

Besides all the crazy jumping around I did upfront as I went through my power point fun facts, I tried to instill within them a sense of wonder for the human body and all its complexities and intricacies.  I told them every class period that if they remembered nothing else, I wanted them to remember that beyond a shadow of a doubt, God created them!!  No other answer exists for our source of existence!

As we started the year, I put up a slide of random paint splattered on a canvas.  I asked them if it was possible for that mess of colors to transform into the Mona Lisa....even after millions and trillions of years.  They all laughed and replied "no!"  Good answer.  Then I put a picture of sand on the beach followed by an award-winning sand castle creation, and I asked them the same question.  Is it possible for that sand to become that sand castle after millions of years of the tide rolling back and forth?  "No!"  More giggles.  To drive my point home, I showed them a mountain side, asked my question, and then put up a photo of Mt. Rushmore.  Is it possible to look at any of those masterpieces, the Mona Lisa, sand castle & Mt. Rushmore, and believe that they were without a creator?  That they just happened?  Of course not!  Just looking at them you can see the intelligence and skill behind their design and construction.   

Lastly, I showed them a picture of a person and asked them if there was anyway to look at this human being, called the crown of creation in the Bible, and believe that anything other than a Creator could have caused its existence.  NO!  The human body is the most complex creation that has ever existed.  

The Bible says we are created in God's image.  We have the ability to create, just like our Creator.  No other creature in the world is able to create symphonies or novels or is capable of logical thought or complex calculations.  DNA, the brain, the eyes, ears, heart, lungs, developing baby - every system and cell in our body is miraculous-even more complex than the Mona Lisa or Mt. Rushmore could ever be.  And they all point to the fact that there is a Creator behind the creation.  

Fast forward to four weeks ago, when we got to hold for the first time our precious little baby girl after nine long months of waiting.  My tiny crown of creation in my arms at last.  We all marveled at how each ten fingers and ten toes could possibly be so little.  Amazing!  

Welcoming our newest child into our family brought our count to 5.  And despite the fact that I've been there and done that five times before, I'm still in awe of how the whole process comes together.  From the excitement of the positive test, 3 long months of morning sickness, extra large baby bump (I was already pretty stretched out), nesting like crazy, labor and then finally delivery.  God's design to bless us!  A little miracle to hold.   




"Children are a gift from the Lord..." Psalm 127: 3a