Sanctification through babies

Evie is 11 weeks old tomorrow and as all parents know, life isn't and will never be the same. I'm thankful for this, but I think it has required me to mature more quickly. The last 11 weeks have brought high highs and low lows. Evie is smiling more and more, making new sounds, sleeping better at night.....every day she seems to do something new. Since I work from home, I have the privilege of hearing Emily when she talks to Evie and does things to make her smile. Emily can be very goofy and it is pretty fun to listen to her make up songs, dance, and love our baby girl well. She is a fantastic mother.

I am now a diaper changing machine, I know what different cries sound like and I am learning a ton. Before Evie....I knew nothing. I didn't know a little...I knew nothing. I had never changed a diaper...really I had never done anything without someone telling me exactly what to do. So I learned quickly! I have found that sleep deprivation and a crying baby can really show you what you are made of. In my case, it showed me a lot of places that "need improvement". These areas, as well as the low lows I referred to, are what God seems to be sanctifying right now in me. I now know how I act when sleep deprived, stressed, confused, depressed, anxious, inadequate, broken...I knew before, but I know better now and I can be very aware of my negative actions.

Through this whole experience God continues to point out the garbage in my life. This in turn makes me press in harder to Him which shows me more stuff, which teaches me to love my wife better, which stirs my affections for Jesus, which shows me the depths of my need for Him, which makes me press in harder....it cycles upwards. It is progressive sanctification. Praise Jesus that He loves me in spite of all the garbage. Praise Jesus that salvation cannot be earned and praise Jesus that He sanctifies.

"For by a single offering He has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified." Hebrews 10:14 (ESV)