I am writing this a few days before you turn six months old. In earlier years, I would have considered it preposterous to write a monthly letter a few days early. I would have thought, “What if you reach some new milestone between October 4th and October 8th that I don’t get to document properly?”
But four kids in, I know not to let an hour alone on a breezy patio with my laptop and an iced coffee go to waste. The Lord gifted me this hour today, and if I don’t use it, this letter might never get written.
It’s been half a year with you, my little love. Six months of snuggles and milk and reciprocating your smiles and delighting in your laughter. You now sit up, you love solid foods, tummy time is a cinch, and you interact with us all day long. You love to reach and grab. The four other ladies in the house will forgive you for pulling our hair. We know you are learning to use your hands and you like experiencing new textures. And let’s be honest, you’re still a year away from having enough hair for a ponytail, so you are probably a bit envious of our long locks.
All four of our girls have been so sweet, but there is just something extra delicious about you. Maybe it’s your dimples? Or maybe it’s the fact that we’ve all been home together for the entirety of your pandemic life, so there are have been more cuddles, more togetherness, and less worrying about schedules and dashing off to events. It’s been a special season to be sure.
But now we are looking ahead to your future. So much seems to hang in the balance. The lingering pandemic. The overreach of government. An uncertain economy. And what most people would call the most contentious presidential election in history.
We don’t know what the future holds. We never do, but our limitations and our lack of control are more tangible in the year 2020.
The beauty is that this crazy year has stripped away the frivolous. Without school and work and sports and birthday parties keeping us busy, we have realized more than ever that the gospel is the only thing that matters. If we could give you all the peace and convenience of the past 20 years for your entire childhood, but you lose your soul, it means nothing. And if our country rejects its founding ideals and slips into tyranny and you do not have the eternal hope of Christ when persecution comes, we have given you nothing.
So I promise to give you the best thing I can give… the truth of Jesus who lived a holy life, died an unjustified death, and rose in glorious victory to reconcile you to your Father in Heaven. I can’t promise you the Constitution, financial security, social popularity, or health, but I can point you toward the only source of true joy and the giver of eternal life.
Praying for you always,
Mama
