It’s hard to believe my baby is practically three months old.  Noah is growing up so fast!  I can see so many changes in him in these 86 days he has been alive.  Obviously he’s more alert.  He’s holding his head up, and yesterday he rolled over!  Not only has he been gaining weight like it’s going out of style, but his little personality is starting to show itself at random times, too.  Before I know it, this kid is going to graduate from college and be ready to start his own family.  Yikes!  I’m definitely learning to treasure every coo and smile (and… every diaper change and spit-up cleanup).  The bittersweet reality is that these precious moments will soon be gone.  That’s life.  I’m just glad that God has given Noah to us for a little while.  Watching him grow up and helping him become a man of God are two of the greatest blessings I think Scott and I will ever know.

Growing up is a process that isn’t always pleasant or easy.  There is often pain involved in growing.  When I was a little girl, I remember waking up in the middle of the night listening to my brother scream because the growing pains in his legs hurt him so badly.

Sometimes, growing up is harder on other people.  For example, Jason and Pam Hilgeman (the first family from our team to make it to the Dominican) have three boys.  The other day, Jason’s Facebook status read, “Sam’s learning to do dishes now. We have two less plates as of Tuesday.”  🙂 It would probably be a lot less “painful” for their bank account and stress levels if Jason or Pam just washed the dishes themselves.  (But, of course, we all know what would happen if Sam never learned to do the dishes…)

It’s pretty evident throughout Scripture that God’s children are to “grow up.”  As Christians, we’re to change into people who are more like Christ, right?  Well, that growth is painful for me a lot of the time.  There’s a verse I ran across recently that really resonated with me now that I’m a mom.

Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.  – 1 Peter 2:2-3 (NIV)

What an amazing and convicting word picture.  Now, I have never seen a healthy, normal baby without the desire to eat.  My little Noah is no different.  Every time I stick a bottle in his mouth, the kid acts like he’s never seen food before.  Lately, he’s gone to screeching quite loudly when we burp him halfway through his meal.  Once he gets a taste of that milk, there’s no going back.  If the boy is hungry, he doesn’t just roll over and go to sleep – he most assuredly lets us know what he wants!

In the same way, my goal for my spiritual life should be to grow up.  But I often find myself being lazy in my relationship with God.  Some days I put off reading my Bible, or I wait until late in the evening to say the shortest little thank you to my Father for His provision for the day.  Now, how does that attitude make any sense?!  Growing in Christ would be a lot less painful if I drank to the fullest of what He has for me.

Nothing grows without sustenance.  Just like Noah craves his bottle, I want my desire to be for that sustaining, enriching nourishment that only comes from walking daily and deeply with my Jesus.