A few days ago, Jackson began standing, holding onto the edge of his exersaucer. The first time he stood there unassisted, I about cried. I couldn’t believe my eyes. The baby who needed me for everything is now becoming independent one small step at a time. Speaking of steps, he has started holding our hands and walking.
I was taking care of some routine maintenance on our car and was hanging out in the waiting room of the service department. I was trying to keep my wiggle-worm entertained while we were waiting, so I was helping him walk around the room. There was an elderly couple sitting in a room separated by glass. He walked toward them (with my help, of course) and put both of his hands on the mirror and just started laughing and knocking on the window. They looked down at him and smiled and laughed and interacted with him. It was one of the sweetest moments ever! Seeing him bring such life to the couple who was entering the end of their life. Such a contrast: Jackson, just entering this world; this couple, in the middle of the “evil days” as the Bible calls it. Beautiful reminder for this mother in the middle of the busiest years of her life. Beautiful reminder that this life is short and our impact is for a short time.
Before long, he is going to be taking his first steps without my help, his first steps into his first day of school, his first steps into his first job, his first steps into college, his first steps as a married man. Life is a gift. Each day, every breath gifted to us.
As a mother of a young baby, it is easy to get distracted by the little things: teething baby (See: “How to Survive Teething”), dirty diaper after dirty diaper, nursing sessions, play time, laundry, dishes, etc.
All good things. All necessary things. Our life would be horrible if I never cleaned dirty diapers. Jackson would not be my little buddha baby if I didn’t nurse or feed him. You get the idea…important things.
But, what is the most important thing to remember? Ecclesiastes 12:1 and 7 says it best:
“Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years draw near of which you will say, ‘I have no pleasure in them’…and the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it. Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher; all is vanity,” (ESV).
The greatest thing I could do for my baby today while time is quickly escaping me is to remember my Creator (in my days of my [fleeting] youth). Everything else is vanity compared to remembering my Creator because my days are numbered. Jackson’s days are numbered. My husband’s days are numbered. Your days are numbered. All of our days are numbered.
We are all just marching on toward our impending death. Pretty morbid if you think too much about it, but it is one of the only certain things in life: death….(and taxes, right? ;))
So, when I am young, I can remember my creator by spending time in his Word daily. It is one of the simplest ways to remember Him. Yet, how often do I choose to browse facebook or instagram instead of reading the Word…vanity. How often do I choose to sleep the extra 10 minutes, 15 minutes instead of reading the Word…pretty vain. I neglect the Word so, so often. It’s almost a joke how often I neglect God in one of the simplest ways that he has given us.
When I am young, another way I can remember my creator by investing my time in my church. Now, this is one area that I love to invest in. I love and have always loved people. I love spending time with people and will make any excuse to spend time with them…in fact, I probably, at times, overcommit to this. (this summer I read “The Best Yes” by Lysa Terkeurst, and it was life-changing for me in saying “no” to the good, small things, and “yes” to the great things). But, if you are not on the extreme extrovert side of the extrovert-introvert scale, then you might have to be more intentional in this. Join a bible study, home group, or growth group. Serve/volunteer your time to a ministry that the church has that fits your skill set and fills a need that they may have. Maybe, you simply need to just go. Maybe you go, but sporadically. Commit and make it a non-negotiable in your life. Church, in my experience, is a vanity crusher. And, in my experience, it is such a beautiful way to remember God through teaching, worship, and service.
And, let me tell you, when the hard times come – and they will come – this church, this community, will lead you back to God and will constantly help you to remember God. They will help you remember God when the days are evil. Church is irreplaceable and invaluable.
When I am young, another way I can remember God is through prayer. When we pray, what we are doing is humbling ourselves and remembering that God is BIG, and we are small – simply put, ridding ourselves of vanity. He is the one who controls everything, not us. He has power over everything, not us. He directs everything, not us. He controls time, not us.
Prayer takes the focus off of us and onto Him. When we pray, we are giving Him the reigns and telling Him that He is Lord of our lives. It is when we pray that we are redirected from our selfish, self-centered hearts, to his will and what he would have us to do. Prayer reminds us that our days are fleeting like the grass and flowers.
“The grass withers, the flowers fade, but the word of our God will stand forever,” (Isaiah 40:8 ESV).
Which leads to the way I love to pray. One of my favorite ways to pray is by reading through his Word and praying the prayers and letters that those much wiser than I have prayed and have written. Reading through Psalms and Proverbs and the gospels and praying those things over our lives and the lives of those around us ensures that our prayers are in line with his will and his Word, the Word that will stand forever.
So, how can you remember God today and rid yourself of vanity? It’s tough, but worth it!
“As a father shows compassion to his children, so the LORD shows compassion to those who fear him. For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust. As for man, his days are like grass; he flourishes like a flower of the field; for the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place knows it no more. But the steadfast love of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him, and his righteousness to children’s children, to those who keep his covenant and remember to do his commandments. The LORD has established his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom rules over all,” (Psalm 103:13-19 ESV).
sarahecooley.com 