Look how BIG you're getting!

I have found myself saying this a lot lately. It seems that time flies by, and all of the sudden my two babies are both looking like preschoolers! Even my Caleb is stretching out and looking leaner, taller, and more like a boy than a baby. What happened!?!

So I was thinking about growing up. How fast it goes. How when it is happening you always want to hit that next stage so fast, reach that next milestone or earn that next privilege so quickly even though it seems like FOREVER while you're waiting. And how now, I wish time would slow down. Now that I'm grown up I want to hold the hands on the clock so that my babies stay small and I get to enjoy these stages before they're gone. I started asking God why He let us grow up so fast, when I used to beg Him to let me be more grown up.

But a message came through. We're not done yet. Not me. Not you. Not your grandma. Trust me, nobody is finished. See, in God we can keep growing as long as we are willing. Think about God's creations, are there many things you can think of that stop growing altogether? Plants send out new sprouts, trees bud new leaves, even we animals grow new hair and fingernails and sometimes 'padding and insulation' if we indulge our appetites! :) But beyond the physical aspects of growth, God will stretch us, grow us, mold us as long as we let Him. We become reborn "babies" of the faith when we accept Christ as our savior. If we study His word and draw near to Him we will grow into more mature christians, learning to defeat the lusts and temptations of the world and overcome Satan's grip on our lives. And even then we can continue to grow, to mature in our faith until we become fathers (or mothers) in the faith, truly knowing our God so closely, so intimately, that we feel like we've never known life without Him. And you don't have to believe me, you can look at 1 John 2: 12-14 if you want proof. ;)

So, today I marvel at how big my kids are getting. I reminisce about how quickly these years have gone. I mourn the passing of their infancy and pray for the ability to cherish every moment of every day as they grow. But I also praise God that He delights in growing me up. That He never lets me get too big to stretch, too shiny to polish, or too smart to learn. And mostly, I praise Him for walking beside me and picking me up every time I fall.