My First Year as a Mom

There is something powerful about having a baby when you know God is our Creator. This is just a little bit of my own reflection, as I look back on this last year as a new mom.

Throughout this last year with sweet Brody, I have experienced God's hand in my life in a very special, real way. God became my friend this year. I think back on moments and realize I was talking to God like I would a friend throughout difficult and trying moments as a mom and during the joyous and appreciative ones. More importantly, I remember and clearly see the moments God spoke back to me. Bible verses, songs, sermons, testimonies, friendships, and God's Word spoke to me as though God's voice had audibly been heard. Consistent messages of encouragement from God have been kept close to my heart since beginning motherhood.

I must share a quick story I heard once that well reflects much of what I am now realizing about my walk with God this year. A man working with adolescent inmates used to ask the inmates upon visiting to draw a circle on a piece of paper representing all of the knowledge in the world. Next, he would ask them to draw a circle within the initial circle representing how much the inmates themselves knew. Almost always the man saw the same thing on the inmates' papers - a large circle with an almost equally large circle within it. The man shared that this was typical, because so many of the inmates had experienced so much struggle at such a young age, similar to their families of origin, and truly believed there was little left to know or experience. This of course, resulted in hopelessness and little motivation to look beyond their own understanding. It was only until the man could share, educate, and smile on the inmates that they would realize their own circles were actually small, leaving an enormity of life worth experiencing. I thought I knew a lot about God and had experienced a close relationship with Him before having Brody. Essentially, had I drawn my own circle a year ago, representing my knowledge and experience with God, it would probably look similar to the inmates' circles. I have grown to understand this past year that I am merely a dot within the circle of knowing and experiencing God, leaving an abundance of knowledge worth learning about God and a closeness worth experiencing with Christ. The "man" visiting the inmates for me has been God visiting me, as He spoke Truth in my life. I am so very excited to see God getting SO BIG and knowing He cares about being a friend with little me. Here's to another year with my Friend!