Leave the great indoorsnotes on the journey

These are strange times we live in, and I don’t think the current economic environment has impacted the collective psyche of a nation anywhere as much as it has here in America.  The mood has changed dramatically over the past year or so, and it is hard not to get caught up in it all.  Because yes, it is scary, and I’d be lying if I said that it doesn’t sometimes keep me up at night.

But all of this turmoil – the stress at work, the worries about the future, the uncertainty of the economy – went away for a few moments yesterday when I heard our baby’s heartbeat for the first time.  I kid you not, it is like standing on holy ground.  The realization that God is assembling a new life inside Jess fills me with a reverence and a sense of happy responsibility that dwarf any fears or uncertainty I might otherwise have.  I fully embrace and run towards this “friendly takeover” of our lives, as my brother calls it.

Of course, I’m not the first dad-to-be to have this kind of reaction.  Yes, all ultrasounds look the same – at 57 mm there is not a whole lot to see yet!  But this one is different.  Because this one is ours.  It is moving around in there, alive and kicking.  And all I can think about is how this tiny life fits so perfectly into God’s creation, how the many good and bad decisions we (and our child) will make in the coming years will shape this new creation into a person that has the potential to be a force for good in this world.  What could be more exhilarating?

From now on, I won’t be skeptical when Jess explains her tiredness by saying “Hey, I’m building a person here!”  She’s right.  She’s building a person, and all I can do is make sure that I help build a world that is worthy for this person to live in.  Bring it on.  I’m ready.