Preparing with Patience

It has begun! I started painting a tree on the baby room wall. Some might think this task is a little over ambitious, especially for an accountant non-artistic type. My sister got all of the creative ability in the family, and is actually an amazing artist, but she consumed all the artsy DNA before I was born and left none for me. I’m also one of those people who think everything SOUNDS easy, I think big and just go for it. Sometimes I’m successful (I’ve built a volcano for VBS) and other times it falls flat (I tried helping Randy carry a refrigerator up 2 flights of stairs, thankfully a neighbor stepped in after the first flight, the refrigerator is in our kitchen, with only a few scratches). I think this project is one of the easier ones I’ve undertaken, especially with my “expertise” at mural painting. The company I work for has a yearly community service day and the past 2 years I’ve helped paint murals at elementary schools. It’s really just paint by numbers, but I learned proper brush stroke technique and how to paint the lines with a nice crisp edge, kinda. I also figured we could just paint over it if it looks terrible, but thankfully I’m happy with the progress so far. I’ll post pictures when I’m done, but it might be awhile as it is taking much longer than I anticipated.

Vanessa with two friends from work

and their mural in the background

 



As I begun painting I realized how relaxing and enjoyable it was to do something pretty mindless. With each brush stroke I started praying over the room and for our little baby who might be in this world or will be soon. I prayed for their safety, God’s protection and that they would join our family soon. I also prayed for Randy and I as parents – that we would honor God in our parenting and raise our children to love him above all else. That we would parent out of faith and not fear. Preparing the baby room makes parenting feel that much closer, which is both exiting and scary. Parents impact their children, both positive and negative. Little feet will be following us wherever we go, repeating the things we say, mimicking our actions. Our children will watch and learn from our love for one another, how we treat strangers and our response in hardship. It makes me realize all the more the importance of pursuing to reflect Christ daily. I know I will fail, I often do, but thankfully we have a savior that is bigger than my failure, mightier than my flaws and who’s power is made perfect in my weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9). And because of that, I pray.

Matthew 6:9-13, “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil” Amen.