It is at a time like this that we experience real life slow motion. That isn't the case when things don't hurt. Now 3 months have flown by - and my daughter, Finley, is growing like a weed.
She's 14+ pounds already. She's in the top % for length. She has at least 6 lbs of squish in her cheeks. And she is, hands down, the greatest gift God has ever given me.
But it's not all sunshine and lollipops. Finley can scream louder than most B list actresses in a horror movie. Her dirty diapers have me in both shock and awe. I sleep less...I work less...I relax less...I watch less tv...I read less...I go out less...and yet, I have never had more abundance in my life. I am forever changed.
3 months - 90 days - is such a short period of time in the grand scheme of things. It has not been a treadmill experience at all. The time has flown by, and every moment is sweeter than the last.
My wife Emily and I waited a LONG time for this little miracle. That waiting period felt like the clock was moving in slow motion. Every minute of want felt like an eternity. And every minute of have feels like a mili-second.
I think of the 3 days that the disciples went through after Christ died. They were filled with doubt - disbelief - sadness - disappointment - and so much more. Even though they knew of what the promise was, doubt still creeps in like a thief in the night.
Periods of angst and lingering want are the worst. They just are. And it's at those times that God feels either miles away or right next to you (heck - sometimes both in the same moment).
But I believe that the Holy Spirit, that dwells within us, gives us the strength to show Christ's love and compassion through our relationships. If you know of someone in your life that is in that waiting period...deeply burdened by loss or want...then I encourage you to simply be present. Christ's love is shown through you by your investment in your loved one. You don't need the right things to say and you don't need
And if you're in that period of pain - want - and angst - let me assure you that a new day is coming. We don't write the script BUT we do know the ending. It surely isn't easy - and the pain is all too real. Things move in slow motion and it seems like a new day will never come. But let me assure you that Christ Jesus brings redemption - both on earth and the afterlife.
That 3 day period for Jesus' gang must've been excruciating. But man, I love a great ending! They had one - and you will, also.
Erik Hatch