It's a boy! That's what they told us as we sat in the ultrasound room over 6 years ago. I will never forget that day. I am almost ashamed of my initial thoughts....thoughts of fear. I had never been around little boys before! Our family was full of girls -- how would I know what to do with a boy?!? But on March 28, 2005, my fears turned in to joy. This precious little bundle wasn't all that different from Caylie....was he?
The first couple of months proved me right. He was such an easy baby....we got him on a schedule very quickly, and before we knew it, he was sleeping through the night. He ate like a champ, and was known in the church nursery as the "cuddle bug". He had a contagious smile and laugh, and could light up even the grouchiest person's face.
But once he started moving, we started noticing some big differences between him and Caylie. Well, maybe one word would describe all the differences at once: active. He was always on the go. Books were pulled off bookshelves in a matter of 30 seconds. Carseat straps couldn't hold him down. Highchairs were his enemy. And strollers....well, let's not even go there.
The difference between girls and boys was made very apparent to me when Garrett was about 2 years old. We heard a cat outside our kitchen door. Caylie, age 5, went to the door, opened it, and said in her sweetest voice, "Here, kitty-kitty-kitty! Here, kitty! Aww, Mommy, isn't she cute?" Garrett came over to the door, saw the cat, and with his loudest and deepest voice, let out a "ROOOOAAARRRRR!" The cat went running as fast as she could, and Caylie fell into a pile of sobs.
Boys and girls are different. Men and women are different. And God made us that way. Aren't you glad? We balance each other. If you are married, you have certainly seen this put into practice. If someone called and told us we won a trip to Disney World, I would jump up and down! Darin, would smile, and simply say, "That's awesome." If we all acted the same, wouldn't life be boring? In the same way, if we all did the same things, wouldn't life get mundane?
You see, God had an image in mind when He created male and female. He created us with roles in mind. Does He love us all the same? Absolutely! Did His Son die on the cross for all of us? Absolutely! Do we have different roles within our families and within the church? Absolutely.
There have been countless books written about the subject. Some are right on target with what the Bible says, others...well, not so much. But the point here is this: Men and women are different. Boys and girls are different. God created us to be different. God created us to fulfill different functions in the family and in the church.
Boys are active. But I'm going to say something that may shock some of you: we need to encourage that! God made men to be leaders. Leaders in our churches. Leaders in our homes. And I believe that when they are being active, they are beginning to explore that natural inclination to lead. This can certainly be a challenge to parents and teachers. There are days that I am ready to pull my hair out! There are days that I wonder why in the world my little boy won't sit still long enough to color a picture. There are days that I wonder if I will ever have a moment of quiet, peaceful rest.
But for now, for my 6 year old, my job is to help him to figure out his role as a boy....and as a future man of God. Right now, he is active. He likes bugs. He likes to play in the dirt. He likes to be loud. And he likes to pick on his older sister. The things that he says never cease to amaze us. If you have spent any time with us, or are friends with me on Facebook, there is no doubt that you are used to hearing "Garrett-isms". But in the years to come, he will be growing and maturing. I am thankful that my son has an awesome example to look at -- his daddy. He sees every day what it looks like for a man to be a spiritual head of the family. He watches his daddy worship. He hears his daddy pray. He sees his daddy serve others.
And so our prayer for our little 6 year old is that he becomes a Christ-follower, and that by doing that, he realizes his role as a Christian man. He's got a long way to go, but then again, don't we all?
No comments:
Post a Comment