Who is #1?

The other day a kindly, warm-hearted woman told me that especially for the first year of a child's life, he (my five-month-old baby boy) will be the center of our life. Everything will revolve around him as he is number one in our household.

My first reaction was "WHAT?!?!?!"

Afterward I realized that I could have possibly stated my opinion just a little less forcibly.


But I completely disagreed with her.


Now don’t get me wrong, babies do effect what you can and can not do as far as safety issues are concerned. So, no you can not take your baby hang-gliding, white-water rafting, or swimming with sharks.

They also take up a lot more of your time and energy (so that project that used to only take an hour or two will now take a couple of months or possibly even years to complete).

But as far as living a normal life.. I don’t think a baby should be allowed to change things that much.

I say “should be allowed to” as it is the parents’ choice. Parents can choose how much say their child has in family decision making.

This is especially true with things that involve our spiritual lives.

The cute little pink ball of flesh should NOT be ruler of our home!


What is our Focus?
Skipping Bible class so that he can keep his sleep schedule, missing Sunday school as it will otherwise be too long of a day for him, or any other excuse that pleads that doing the work of God will disrupt the baby’s life is, in my opinion, being very short sighted.

Yes, for the first couple of months the mother will not get very much out of the classes as she sits in the nursery (or in the drafty hallway if there is no nursery), but there is a lot more at stake here then just comfort or instant personal gratification.

Yes, the baby is going to hate being forced to get up early on Sunday mornings, and will get cranky towards the end of Wednesday evenings, but we are thinking beyond the present.


The Big Picture
The most important routine we can instill in our children is that the time around God’s word is of utmost importance in our lives.

By example we are teaching our child from a young age the life lesson that one has to make personal sacrifices for God and His work.

To balance out the sacrifice there are also good things that happen when we focus our family’s life around God and His house. One of the best being the friendships that are developed.

Our children, from a young age, will start creating friendships with those who are being raised in the household of God. Starting out with the sharing of slobbery toys and squealing together, these friendships are potentially eternal.

By making the opportunities to spend time with those who share the same hope it also gives mothers the opportunity to strengthen each other and help each other through the ups and downs of raising God’s heritage. Sharing stories, commiserating and giving each other tips, some of the best advice I got was not from outside sources.


In my household our child is not number one.


God is the center of our home.


May our son always know this to be true.