My son Isaiah was born last week. He’s been in the NICU until (hopefully) today or (possibly) tomorrow, which has been hard and sad. But the whole experience of having a baby has been far more joyful than I could have anticipated. I can’t describe the love that I feel when I am holding him. Its like taking a step into a new world. We’ve been praying Isaiah 26:3 over him every day, asking God to shield him from all evil and grow him into a man of peace whose mind is stayed on God – already at a young age, and increasingly throughout his life. I love sitting there and just watching his funny facial expressions – when he is awake, he looks around inquisitively, or sometimes scowls at the nurses. His tiny fingers are so small they can’t even fit around my pinky finger! I can’t get enough of him. Its fun to talk to him and call him, “son.”
Being a father has helped the gospel sink down to a deeper level in my heart. Its amazing to think that God uses the image of adoption to describe what happens to us when we trust in Christ. That means that because of Jesus, how I feel about Isaiah is a tiny reflection of how God feels about us. I remember hearing my Dad say once, “at the point of our deepest weakness and failure, God loves us the most.” When I look at Isaiah, I understand that in a deeper way than I could have before. There is nothing that could make me love him less, and I feel like I’d do anything for him. To think that God loves us with the love of a perfect Father! When I think about that, I have to conclude that I can trust Him more deeply with my life, that good things are ahead, and that I’m just a beginner at fathoming the depths and riches of God’s love.
I John 3:1: “see what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are.”
Psalm 103:13: “as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him.”
6 Responses
Congratulations to you two. I echo so much of what you have said. I can’t wait to meet Isaiah!
I love this Gav. It’s such an awesome reminder – I can’t wait to meet your son!
Congratulations on a son! May he be the man of God that God wants him to be.
Congratulations, Gavin and Esther, on baby Isaiah. THat is so wonderful. And now I realize that Anne is a new great-grandmother! Yes, being a parent will open up whole new worlds of understanding between you and your heavenly Father! Isaiah is one fortunate baby to have you as parents! I’m so excited for you!
Blessings,
Lynn
Oh, I also wanted to mention that your blog and comments are very difficult to read. You might wish to enlarge them for easier viewing on the eyes. :-)
Great post, Gavin!