Many jump right in to marriage and having babies with childlike naivete. Now within a day of turning 56 years of age, I’m confronted with the depth of immaturity that was my reality especially regarding having babies. My thoughts were continually about myself. Having a third baby was something I wanted! I was thankful for the son and daughter God had already graciously given me, but I wanted one more. It wasn’t hard knowing I was pregnant. The discomfort set in immediately! I had been on medication for hiatal hernia symptoms before trying to get pregnant and now pregnant, I was not able to take the meds prescribed by my doctor. Pregnancy intensified all my symptoms. I felt trapped and wondered how I would live through nine months of pain. My mind ran wild and my thoughts ran wilder “there’s no way out of this misery except to abort this baby!” Thank God I never seriously considered such a thing, but the thought had crossed my mind. ME FIRST was my mantra! Unfortunately, the ME FIRST refrain continued. As I began to work in an office job and found some fulfillment in ME as a person, a somebody, I had thoughts again that wondered why had I wanted that third baby? I could be doing so much more with my life. Yes WOW, what is in man’s heart (my heart), “The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick; Who can understand it?” (Jeremiah 17:9, NASB)

That third baby, turns 28 today! AND she just happened to be MY 28^th birthday gift! I marvel at the foolishness of man (me) and yet God can take man’s foolishness and turn it into a testimony of His wonderful grace. After the heartbreak of not getting to be called “Gram” from my older daughter’s pregnancy, God allowed that third baby to make me a “Gram!” I witnessed that third baby carrying her baby through nine months of pregnancy while getting up and going to her job. I witnessed that third baby bear a huge load after a C-section with some complications that required her to carry a catheter bag around for a time. I witnessed that third baby painstakingly do all she could so “her” baby could have the benefit of his mother’s milk. Now I watch as she tries to patiently reason with a toddler, not an easy task if you’ve never had the pleasure! 😉

So, despite my immaturity and self-centeredness, God graciously gave me a beautiful gift in this daughter of mine! Wishing her a very happy birthday: Happy Birthday, Jennifer Leigh! You make me proud!

Philippians 2:3-5. “Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus,

Matthew 22:39 “. . . Love your neighbor as yourself.”

1 Peter 5:5 “serve each other in humility, for God opposes the proud but favors the humble.”

Colossians 3:5 “. . . Don’t be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world.”

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 “Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.

To regard others as more important, that’s the bottom line! Is there an area in your life you need to be made humble?