Toothless

My sweet baby boy is teething.

That sounds too natural.  I should say my sweet baby boy is whining, not sleeping, drooling constantly, and gnawing on his fist.  Poor guy.

I was making dinner the other night and Flint was watching from his swing.  Fist in mouth.  Drool everywhere.  It is probably good he doesn't have teeth because with the fervor he was attacking his own fist he could have easily taken off a couple fingers.

"It's okay, honey."  I tried to be kind and reassuring as I stuffed the enchiladas and he chewed the straps of his swing (to no comfort).  "I know it hurts!!!  But guess what?  It's worth it to be a big boy!"  

I stopped myself before explaining to him the wonders of pizza and apples and big boy food.  I heard the words as they came out of my mouth and they echoed in my mind.  "It's okay, sweetie.  I know it hurts, but guess what?! It's worth it to grow up!"  I'm pretty sure God has tried to whisper this to me before as I was gnawing off my own arm in the midst of spiritual growing pains.  It's not that He didn't want to help, he just knew it was part of growing up.  He saw all the opportunities that the growth I was experiencing (and AM experiencing!) would open.  

I don't want to be a toothless Christian.  Afraid of growth, afraid of change, afraid of anything hard.  I want to grow up, to follow Christ as His disciple, and be willing to learn the hard lessons now that will prepare me for even greater challenges and joys in the future.

Matthew 20:22
“You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said to them. “Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?”

I Corinthians 13:11
When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me.

Lord Jesus, thank you for watching me grow like a father. For rejoicing over every inch and anticipating every milestone. Thank you for preparing me. For knowing far in advance the ways I need to grow to reach my full potential. I want to remember you in the midst of my growing pains- that you are not unable to comfort me, that you are not distant, that you are not indifferent. You see far into my future and know what ugly and beautiful things await me...and you're giving me teeth!!! Thank you Lord for my growth...and thank you for not holding the drool or the whining against me :)