So our kids continue growing and flourishing in the NICU. The doctors seem to think that they will be home around Christmas. In the meantime, Gina and I have been scurrying to prepare our house and lives for them. Much of this involves getting necessary baby equipment and doing laundry (I’m saving laundry for a separate post).
The experience is certainly difficult and different than many families experience… they wait for approximately nine months, the baby/babies are born and after three days in the hospital everyone is home. Our time with them is much more limited. Gina spends much of the day at the hospital to nurse them, but realistically only gets small chunks of time with them. I come to spend time with them after working all day and basically get to change a diaper for each of them, feed them and hold them until they are back asleep. Don’t get me wrong- this time is sweet and I wouldn’t trade it for anything, but I long for more time with them.
This (hopefully) short phase reminds me of my relationship with God. While I cherish my daily devotional time with him, I find myself wanting more. Even in ministry, much of my job is spent devoted to things about him (just as much of our “spare” time is devoted to preparing for our kids’ arrival home), but it isn’t necessarily time with him. Nothing makes up for it. Nothing nourishes my desire to be with him completely. My longing for unencumbered time with him will not be satisfied until he returns. That is is the hope of the Christian life. Longing and waiting for Christ’s return is what pushes us forward. In the meantime, we must enjoy our time with him and make the most of the life he has given us.
While the wait for Titus and Riley to come home to us continues, we long to spend more time with them without the barrier of an incubator door standing in our way. While this will certainly be a joyous day, it will not be as glorious as the day of Christ’s return for his people.
Ryan Boyer is a husband, a father of twins and a pastor. He and his family live in Idaho.
congratulations ryan. i praise God that you, too, are a minister of the Lord, and that you are celebrating your family in the presence of God. when my little boy was born i began to experience life in a whole new way, but yes i agree, this joy is incomparable to the joyous day of Christ’s return. oh, how i wait for Him, watch for Him, and long for Him. God bless you my brother, you and your family.
steve