'little by little'

Today as I power washed Owen's high chair I thought to myself,  'Yet another thing they forgot to mention in prenatal classes!'  There's quite a bit that, I'm discovering, can take you by surprise in the parenting journey.  I've met three first-time, expectant mama's in the last few weeks and I've found myself, shockingly enough, at a loss for words when I try to describe the past 14 months with our little man!  Sure, I could tell them about the thousands of diapers they will change... I think we're nearing the 3,000 mark!  I could mention the sleepless nights, because there will be those in plenty and they will reveal strengths and weaknesses you've never known existed.  But that's not really what has me scrambling for words...

Raising a child is cause for a shifting within that can only be experienced, not explained.  Nothing can prepare a heart for what will happen as tiny arms wrap tight around your neck.  Never would you believe you could be so incredibly biased or easily impressed but, of course, that's before YOUR child enters the scene!  These tiny human beings possess the remarkable ability to turn upside down a life that was once full, organized and 'on track'.  They will cause you to redefine things like 'multitasking' and 'weekend fun' and they will give deeper, truer meaning to JOY and love and sacrifice.
Thankfully, parenting is a journey.  Life is a journey!  The fact that we only need deal with and be in the moment at hand, one day at a time, is truly a gift.  You're not required to have a potty-training-game-plan (if there is such a thing) when your sweet babe is a newborn.  You get to tackle 'why not to throw your peas on the floor' and 'it's never acceptable to dunk your stuffed animals in the toilet bowl' way before reaching the teenage years (hopefully)!  We learn as we go, making plenty of mistakes along the way.  But mess ups are nothing more than material for growth, if we can learn from them.  In fact, mistakes may be an essential part of the journey.

At times I become overwhelmed by my lack of knowledge (read here: my little boy is walking and talking and sometimes I still feel clueless!)  But Jesus whispered a sweet truth to me this morning through Exodus 23.  God is telling the Israelites about the land that they will one day inhabit.  He will go before them, making a way and clearing out all those standing in their way.  There's a BUT in verse 29, though.  'But I will not drive them out in a single year, because the land would become desolate and the wild animals too numerous for you.'  Verse 30 is my favorite, 'Little by little I will drive them out before you, until you have increased enough to take possession of the land.'  Little by little!!  Why do I forget that this is how God works in my life the majority of the time?  Here I am asking for the whole enchilada and He's saying, 'Daughter, trust me, you are not ready!'  Whether it be parenting skills or owning our own home or finding answers to life's hardest questions.  I think I want it NOW and grossly underestimate all that He has in store for me along the way!
These Israelites, fresh out of captivity and hankering for a place to call their own, knew that this sweet chunk of land had their name on it.  God already said He would go before them; they were ready to stake their claim!  But God knew they were far from 'ready', there were many lessons to be learned (40 years worth of lessons, apparently!)  God knew that if they rushed in and took the land, there wouldn't be enough of them to work the ground and it would quickly become bare.  Without the man power and knowledge to fight off the wild animals, they would also be sitting ducks!  Taking possession of the Promised Land all at once would be disastrous and only God had the foresight to realize it!

To all of you feeling antsy to accomplish and overcome and climb the ladder and progress from diapers, just chill out.  I am not advocating complacency or laziness, we always press on toward the goal [Philippians 3:14]  This is, however, a reminder (mostly for myself) that 'little by little' is for our own benefit.  Take it one day at a time, don't beat yourself up for not knowing it all!  You're in this season for a reason, enjoy it!  If you can't enjoy it, cause let's face it- there's nothing sweet about teething, then learn from it.  Embrace where you're at, God may be preparing you for what is to come, saving you from getting in over your heads or simply teaching you to see beauty in THIS moment; do not miss it!  Have grace for yourself and those around you, knowing that we are all journeying 'little by little' and chances are, sweet Mama-to-be, prenatal classes won't prepare you for hardly ANY of what this journey will bring :)