The Gift of Babies

“…I have come that they might have life and have it to the full.” * 

There was a unique invitation during church on the third Sunday in December. When we came into the sanctuary that morning, Al and I noticed an unusual number of families with babies in attendance. Along with the babies came relatives, friends and younger siblings. A baptism? We had to wait to find out.

 During the service, parents with babies who were celebrating their first Christmas were invited to come forward. The front of the sanctuary quickly filled up with proud parents holding their babies, along with one crying sibling who didn’t want to be left behind. In all there were eleven new babies including one set of twins—impressive for a church that was started about four years ago.

Babies…they change our lives forever, don’t they? The twin boys reminded me of the news my mom received a week before the due date of her fourth (or so she thought) child. During a routine checkup, the family doctor detected two heartbeats instead of one! Twins!

When mom picked us up from school that day, she drove my younger brother, sister and me to the junior college where dad was in the middle of coaching his swimmers. When she honked the horn loudly, he came out the back gate.

“Guess what? It’s going to be twins!” A look of shock, then smiles from dad. What a surprise!

 Mom immediately began preparing for their arrival. Everything was going to have to be doubled: two cribs, a twin stroller, baby clothes, diapers... Diapers? Pampers were still in the future and it was going to be a huge task hanging diapers out to dry, as she routinely did with the rest of our clothes. It wasn’t long before mom and dad picked out their very first dryer.

 I was thirteen when Jack and Jill were born. My brother Jimmy was ten and little sister, Jan, almost seven. Jimmy was dad’s namesake, and since our names started with the letter “J” we all agreed that the next one follow suit. Only there were two. Jack and Jill seemed logical at the time!

Jill was a sweet-natured redhead who weighed in around six pounds. Her twin brother arrived a few minutes later in distress with a collapsed lung. Jack was immediately put in an oxygen tent where he stayed for an extra day or two. He was smaller than Jill, thin and grayish in color when he first came home, not at all what I expected.

“Mom, I thought babies were supposed to be cute,” I commented. It didn’t take long though before this energetic little guy captured our hearts.

The biggest change that happened in my life was that I quickly gained more independence, something all teenagers greatly desire. Mom was too busy with the babies to keep a tight hold on her eldest daughter and began relying upon me for help. She even let me stay home from school for a few days just after they were born. Dad was away working on his master’s degree and her hands were full with such a big, bustling household.

Except for their feeding, mom and I shared the responsibilities of the babies. We were all sleep deprived due to their waking up every couple of hours during the night. She had to keep a written chart in order to remember who got fed when. Going to the store was always an adventure, especially when strangers stared and asked if the baby in my arms was mine! I’d laugh as I shook my head, but secretly felt proud and very grown up.

More mouths to feed and young children to care for meant that dad had to work long, hard hours teaching and coaching; but he always made time for us. Family was his top priority at that point in his life. The great love mom and dad had for each other and for their five children just seemed to grow and grow. Yes, their lives changed, but for the better!

Each December I eagerly anticipate the celebration of Jesus’ birth, thankful for the wonderful gift God has given us in Him.  Eternal life, forgiveness of sins, deliverance, compassion, healing, amazing grace and love, unconditional love…my life will never be the same again.

Thank you, God! Happy birthday, Jesus!

*John 10:10b NIV

(picture is of me holding "little" Jack when he was about 6 months old.)