Of course, this is what God counts on, - all this. Because without you, the human race cannot march forward. Without you, the Church is missing a family, and basically the Church is a family of families. God has counted on your openness to creating new life with Him, and you've suddenly discovered that you don't understand what it means to be a parent yet, but just this, this baby who is so you and so your spouse - this is mind-blowing. You might even wonder why you and your spouse didn't do this earlier in your marriage!
No one can prepare you for parenthood. You look at this child and you're scared about how you're going to feed and change him, how you're going to learn how to install a car seat, how you're going to afford college for her down the line. No one in your life has ever, ever been so dependent on you before. You've never been so called-on to forget your self and think of somebody else.
"That's the plan," God says. "This is how you grow up. This is how you begin to understand Me and what it feels like to create someone so fragile, so needy. Now you know what Parenthood means. Yes, you'll suffer now. Suffer when he gets his first shot. Suffer waiting up when she goes on her first date. Suffer when he screams 'I hate you' because you have to tell him 'No.' Actually I get told 'I hate you' on a minute-to-minute basis around the clock because I have so many children, and a lot of them unfortunately haven't grown beyond adolescence. But, you know what? I wouldn't give up the experience for the world. Neither will you. Even if that child gives you the heaviest cross in your life, you'll still always recognize her inner beauty.
"Parenting is the greatest gift I can give your spouse and you," God continues. "It breaks my heart when so many couples think of children as an adjunct to their carefully structured Life Plan. Children need to be part of that plan from the beginning. Adopt, if you have to. Why? Nothing else can complete the circle of love. That's why the Holy Spirit exists - the Son and I love each other so much that our love became another Person. Love is meant to flower into a community of loving.
"I will never desert you. This child is yours, and you and your family are Mine."
You play with the little fingers and they curl around one of yours like unfurling buds. Yes, now you do understand God better. You understand how He's available to listen to you 24-7, because you're committing yourself to being available for this little one like that. You understand how every time you've turned away from your heavenly Father, He's been waiting with a broken heart for you to return.
And you know that now that you're a parent like God, you will be clothed with strength and dignity. You will be able to laugh without fear. If you love this child with every drop of blood in your body, God loves you and your child infinitely more, and He's going to support you with this. He's got this. Because you've helped Him bring this precious new life into the world. And He alone knows why He's created your child. His heart has plans for this child, just like you do. He knows what this child can accomplish, how many people he or she will affect and change with love. He knows if your child will be ill. He knows how long your child will live. He knows every hair that will grow on your child's head, and if it'll be straight or curly. Yes, you've got this, and He's got you - always.
You and your spouse put your arms around each other and your baby and suddenly you're both laughing and crying. This is surreal. It's too much. It's - breath-taking. Why didn't anyone ever tell you that you could love a complete stranger so much? Maybe they tried to tell you. No one can tell you. You have to experience it. And, besides, society is so "into" people advancing in their careers and people "into" self-fulfillment that no one really talks about parenting being fulfilling any more. Many people think it's too hard, that you have to spend too much of your money on a child, that your perfectly structured life is messed up by a child.
Oh. She's opening her eyes. Did you ever see such innocence in a pair of eyes? What will it be like to hear her laugh? How old does he have to be before he laughs? How long before he crawls? Will I be home when she takes her first steps? Will her first word be "Mama" or "Dada?"
This baby is a miracle. It's the only word that fits her incomparable beauty, his unique whorl of hair on top of his head. You are so overcome with awe that you feel as if you're in a Church. This must have been what God felt when His universe unfurled with the tenderness of an opening bud. Yes, it's holy. Yes, it's a miracle. Your child has an immortal soul and will live forever. What else have you done that compares to this.
No matter how old you get you will never forget this Gift, this first holy and miraculous moment that you've held this eternal child whom you helped God to create. Never.