My seventeen year old daughter is taking a class at school called Child Development. As a part of her curriculum, she has to have a baby in her care for a week.
The school is smart, so instead of a real baby, they are taking part in a project called "Baby, Think It Over." She has a baby doll, complete with battery pack and key, wardrobe, diaper bag, and diapers(?) for this soft plastic replica of a human baby.
Whenever "Scott" cries, my daughter has to tend to "his" needs. Sometimes, he's hungry; sometimes he doesn't like how he's being held; sometimes, he needs a diaper changed. And sometimes, quite frankly, we think he's just being a brat:-)
The whole idea is to give her a taste of what it would be like to be a mom at her age. Her homework gets disrupted. She has to either take him along or get a sitter (I'm babysitting my "grandson" right now--haven't decided how much I'll charge her just yet:-).
And her sleep--oh, her precious sleep!! A couple of nights ago she couldn't stand it so she did the unthinkable---she removed his battery pack!! If only it were that easy, right moms??
This in no way is what it's like to care for a baby. But it is a small taste of it. She'd only been a mom for a day before she came to me, tears in her eyes, thanking me for not only being HER mom, but for being a mom 3 times over! She said, "I don't know how you did it, but I'm glad you did."
Which got me to thinking.....
What if I was able to get just a taste of what Jesus must have gone through to save me. Would I be more appreciative, as my daughter is? Would I go to Him, with tears in my eyes, saying, "I don't know how You did it, but I'm so glad You did!"
Of course, we get little tastes of it every day. When we're made fun of for what we believe...when a loved one goes home, separated from us until eternity...when someone betrays us unexpectedly...when we're left all alone in a trial...when a child goes astray and we long to bring them back.
We get tiny tastes of what our Savior endured...but do we thank Him?? Or do we cry out, "Why is this happening to me? I've been good! I've done what I was supposed to do, haven't I, God?"
Watching my daughter be a mom for a week has made me proud...she'll make a good mom one day (just not TODAY!!). When God watches me...is He proud? I think I'm going to see my trials and troubles, my hardships and struggles...just a little differently from now on.
And I hope I remember to turn my face toward Heaven, and to cry out "I don't know how You did it...but I'm SO glad You did!!"
Be blessed, and be a blessing! (I'm SO thankful "Scott" goes home on Thursday!!)
Deena
P.S. Not many people use cloth diapers anymore and with all the expenses of baby supplies you'd think that saving money on diapers would be more popular. Getting diaper bags and baby clothes is plenty for one's purse so know how much savings there is in cloth diapers.
2 comments:
I think this is a great idea, show them what it would be like.
We did this in high school and in college. Once the baby was an egg--thus it's name was eggbert. don't remember the flour sacks name but it was making a mess by the end of the week.
Love this idea.
I know I will never appreciate Jesus enough for what He did. I don't really think it will hit me until I see Him face to face.
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