Not in This Lifetime

Having a baby drastically changes your life.  This is a statement that several people told me before the birth of our daughter.  When people would give me advice about parenting and life after children, I would try to glean from the wisdom that was given.  Obviously, some people give you more than you want to hear most of the time, but I tried to respond with grace in most cases and thank them for what they had to say.  One of those ways that having a child 'drastically' changes things is your sleeping habits (or lack thereof)!  I can't say I haven't had a full nights sleep because Karis is sleeping through the night now (on most nights) but it never seems like enough.  It's like my body is trying to recoup from the sleep I wasn't getting after Karis was first born - even tough I know that's not how the body operates, I like to think that's what's going on!  So I try to catch a nap when I can on the weekends.  Steve and I have diligently tried to get all our 'chores' done during the week so we can have Saturday and Sundays to do as we please.  So when I was sitting on the couch yesterday and said outloud, "when will I not be so tired?"  To which Steve responded, "not in this lifetime!"  At first I was thinking, well that wasn't very comforting!  I would rather have heard, let me take care of Karis for a weekend and let you get away to 'rest'!  Ha!  But the more I thought about what he said, I thought, well yes, how true that statement is.  We have a better hope and assurance to look towards...that is for those who are in Christ will one day be in the presence of the Lord!  Things will be drastically different in his presence, and I like to hope that I will no longer feel tired! 

This tought was nailed into my mind a little further as I was reading this morning in Noel Piper's book, "Treasuring God in our Traditions".  Reflecting on the season of Advent, she puts it like this, "Christians on this side of Jesus' birth are a God-blessed, happy people because we know God's plan.  The centuries of waiting are over.  We have the greatest reason to celebrate.  And yet we are still waiting.  Our spiritual redemption came to us with the baby of Bethlemhem.  Nonetheless, as Romans 8 says, 'we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodes' (v.23).  There is suffering and tragedy still, even for Christians...In other words, our redemption is not complete.  We are waiting for the redemption of our bodies--waiting for Jesus' second advent, for him to come again." 

So I guess until Christ comes or I leave this earth to be with him (whichever comes first)...it is not unnatural that as Romans 8 says, I groan inwardly.  Maybe being tired is a slight exaggeration of groaning inwardly, but the lesson is still the same.  So even if this seems like a little part of life in comparison to other weighty things that cause inward groaning, the concept and weight of the lesson is still enormous.   No matter what format God chooses to remind me of these things,  I want to constantly be reminded (even in life's day to day happenings) of the Hope in Glory that has yet to be seen!  So thank you Steve, for reminding me that this is not our home...greater things await us!