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a baby changes everything



a baby changes everything.  this is the name of a song that was sung beautifully in our church on sunday.  and as we have been rehearsing it and then hearing it again on sunday, i have been reflecting on the meaning of those words in a way that having a child 4 months ago uniquely affords me. 

a baby does change everything. 

a baby is such a symbol of radical hope.  we look at a world that is so depressing at times, so hopeless, and yet it seems that love compels us to act in great hope in the face of such despair.  in the midst of wars and recessions and epidemics and -perhaps worst of all - party politics, we still have hope; we still have children.  we give birth to beings, from the emptiness of non-existence, to the warm waters of the womb, to, eventually, the chaos and noise and jarring brokenness  of this wide world.  and yet we go through this journey anyway, because somewhere inside us we believe - we hope against hope - that this is a worthwhile adventure.  that it won't always be like this.  that someday, maybe even through a little baby, God will redeem the hell out of this beautiful mess, both the one that i call 'me,' and the one i call the world. 

i certainly know how a baby changes everything - or learned it again this year.  a baby changes the normal night sounds.  changes sleep patterns.  changes home decor.  it's changed our parenting strategy; changed our family dynamics; and changed the rhythm of our days.  our baby has changed everything, including my capacity to love, which i never thought could happen.  a baby changes everything.  even the world.  even me. 
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Mrs. Milinovich said…
Yes, they come here "trailing clouds of glory" and affect us in ways that can only be labeled miraculous. They ARE the hope of the world. Plus, they are so darn cute!
8:27 AM
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