A Baby Changes Everything

On Thursday, Hudson turned a week old and had his very first visit to the pediatrician. I opted to stay at home so I could do some laundry and clean the house while everyone was gone and so we wouldn’t look like the crazy obsessive family who brings nine people to a newborn’s first office visit. (Not that the list of twenty three questions we accumulated in a week made us look any less obsessive.)  In two hours, I was able to minimize the damage that had occurred to Gum household since the arrival of Mr. Hudson Gum and I was able to minimize the work for the maid who was coming later that afternoon. Had I known she was going to wrap my cord tightly around my flat iron; I would have planned my morning differently. (I am still recovering from the emotional trauma of my wrapped flat iron cord) Shortly after the maid arrived; my family returned and my sister confirmed what I already knew to be true: Hudson was a perfect baby who captured the hearts of his pediatrician. She also confirmed that I will be leaving Houston ten pounds heavier than I weighed when I arrived by announcing that she brought home a dozen cupcakes from Crave. She initially bought the cupcakes to celebrate my birthday for a second time because the first round of cupcakes dried out due to the neglect they received when Hudson was born. But since I am clearly the world’s greatest aunt; I turned my 27 year old birthday cupcakes into Hudson’s 1 week old birthday cupcakes. Don’t worry, I know I am hooked, wrapped, over the top, and completely in love with my nephew and I’m completely aware that for the rest of my life I will have to refrain myself from spoiling him to much. And I also know that I am going to have to refrain myself from moving to Texas because our morning snuggle time and the smell of his baby magic lotion have spoiled me too much the past 10 days.

For my entire life, I have heard the saying: “A baby changes everything” and I wish I could meet the person responsible for starting the saying because they are exactly right. Of course, a baby changes your sleep schedule, the organization of your home, and your physical appearance. ( I now take my showers mid afternoon and am most awake at 3:00 AM) But a baby also changes the way you view life. I am not talking about the instant change in behaviors and mindsets of parental instincts (or in my case Aunt instincts); I am talking about changes in behaviors and mindsets of our spiritual instincts. When you hold a newborn baby in your arms and soak in the delicate intricateness of their tiny being; you view God in an entirely different way. It is almost like for the first time in your life, you see the world through His eyes and truly grasp that only God could create something so perfect. He did create every one of us friends and although He provided every delicate detail to our physical bodies; He didn’t create us to change anything. But He did create us with a need to love and serve the Baby who changed everything. The only way we can elicit change within ourselves is to live for Jesus. We don’t have the power to change anything of worth on our own. Of course, we can change our careers, our fashion senses, our dreams, and even our daily routines but we can’t change the way we view life if our change exists apart from Jesus.  Life isn’t about viewing the external change through our eyes; it is about viewing the internal change through Gods eyes. God examines our hearts and He is looking for only one thing: To see if His baby is inside of our hearts. Once we accept Jesus into our hearts; He changes everything so we reflect His image and are radiant with His light. It is only through our transformation in Christ that we are able to make a true change within ourselves and ultimately a change in the lives of others. God’s desire for us is to bear fruit through our transformation in Him and the fruit we bear is what ultimately changes other’s lives; it is ultimately what draws others in so they open up their hearts to receive Jesus as their personal Savior. We have the power to wrap so many people around God’s finger and we have the abilities to change everything. Will you allow yourself to grow in Christ so you can change everything? Will you change your views from the external fruit we bear to the internal fruit we bear? Will you allow Jesus to be the ultimate baby who permanently changes your life?

Hudson has changed my life in so many ways in just ten days. For the first time in my life, I want to bear my own children so I can experience the joys of being a mommy. Regardless of whether or not I ever bear a child of my own; I will bear the fruit of my Father. I will exist to change others lives by allowing my Father to change me first. I will live my entire life to hear Him say, “ Having you changed everything” just so I can respond with, “No, having Jesus in my heart changed everything.”

Verse to remember: Matthew 7:15-21  ¹⁵ “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. ¹⁶ By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? ¹⁷ Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. ¹⁸ A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. ¹⁹ Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. ²⁰ Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.  ²¹ “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.