December 16, 2006...11:46 pm
Welcome to our world Madeline
Today our family welcomed Madeline Alane Abell to our family. After two boys delivered to our home, God has graced us with a daughter. I have become comfortable with boys. I’m not saying that I have mastered them nor figured out the best way to mentor them. I am saying seven years of experience has yielded some lessons learned. Some complacency? maybe. Comfort, definitely.
As I hold Madeline, I have so many questions. What is it going to be like having two women in our house? In what ways do I mentor a daughter that is different than mentoring sons? Will I treat my daughter the same as I treat my sons? Will I be fair? What is fair when your children are boys AND girls? We haven’t even approached the dating questions!!
As I contemplate these and so many other questions less than twelve hours after her birth, I can only acknowledge two things. First, Madeline is truly a gift from my Lord that He has placed in our care for a few short years. We now have to the honor to introduce her to our Lord: His love, His grace, His mercy. How does this introduction happen in the context of parent and child? By parenting Madeline like God parents us: with His love, His grace, His mercy. As imperfect as it seems, it is in this imperfection we can teach love, grace, and mercy. It is the gospel that empowers us to live in a way for all our children see God and what He has done for us.
The brings me to my second acknowledgment: While parenting a girl at this point in her young life seems like a daunting task, I am encouraged by one simple fact: God parents us. Man, woman, child, God chooses to parent his children consistantly demonstrating the same elements to His sons and His daughters: grace, love, and mercy. Therefore, if I am to parent, even in my imperfectness, as God parents me, then mentoring seems to be the same whether son or daughter: Point them to Christ and what he has done and doing in my life. If I illustrate God’s parenting work in me to my children through the parenting them in His grace, His love, His mercy: I illustrate the Gospel lived out. Lord, help me to do it…
5 Comments
December 17, 2006 at 2:52 pm
C O N G R A T S !!!
Thanks for the heart felt reflections. May the Lord bless you guys as you enter into this new chapter with Madeline.
Truly a Christmas to remember
Rick
December 18, 2006 at 12:12 am
Congrats!
December 19, 2006 at 8:55 am
Praise God! Our family welcomed our own little girl, Rebecca Lynne, into the world almost 11 weeks ago. When are we going to see some pictures?
Many of your questions mirror mine. Why don’t your figure all those things out over the Christmas break and then post them on the blog. That way I can print them up.
God bless & Merry Christmas,
Paul S.
December 23, 2006 at 6:11 am
She was born into blessing already affirmed by her Creator through His Word and activity, and placed in a family of faith & the greater faith community -she will mystify you, amaze you, and bring incredible joy as an ezer. Her presence will rock your world & no doubt bring hope to this world.. Blessings!
December 24, 2006 at 4:39 pm
Consider this your virtual cigar (bubblegum, of course)!
Praise God for your new gift and for his parenting of us. Em and I just read the beautiful passage in Deut. 1 in which Moses reminds the people that God “parented” them out of the wilderness “as a man carries his son.” O to know the love of the Father’s strong arms, carrying us out of the wilderness into his Shalom.
Will pray for some shalom for you and the new thrice mommy in the coming days.
(Em and I are moving to the Tampa side in January–I smell a Starbucks run or two this semester :-)).
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