A Baby Changes Everything

A Baby Changes Everything

Isaiah 1:18

http://gbcdecatur.org/sermons/BabyChangesEverything.html

A man and a woman marry and start a life together. They are young and immature, and understandably, are fairly self-centered in their lifestyle. And then a baby comes along, and changes everything! Nothing makes you grow up quicker. Nothing changes your priorities more. Your sleep schedule changes. Your social life pauses indefinitely. Your love life must alter. Your house is not as quiet. It also smells different. Your money vanishes. You must humble yourself to degrading tasks. A baby changes everything, so you make changes as necessary, and, indeed, the baby does need changing every time you turn around. You think you are changing them, but really they are changing you. You want to mold and shape this new life, but at least at first, only YOU are being transformed! A baby changes everything.

The wife's pride was in her hair, which she could spend hours shaping. Now it's cut short, pulled back, and washed about as often as in pioneer days. She always wanted more curves, now she's got them! A baby changes everything! The husband used to watch football in his easy chair, now he's a gopher, running plays called by his new life coach from the sidelines, and he can't afford to drop the ball, because it's his child which he cradles in a football hold, trying to make the colic stop! A baby changes everything.

Next, the baby starts pulling up, so the knick knacks must be moved higher or put away. We tried so hard to get them to walk and talk and suddenly we are telling them to... "sit down and shut up!" A baby changes everything.

Twenty years ago we lost our first, just entering the 2nd trimester, and even that experience greatly changed us. 5 years later little red came along, just a warm up, for his Noah's ark nursery proved to be prophetic when 2 years later babies started coming 2 by 2, male and female! 3 babies in diapers change everything!

And every stage of their lives includes fascinating changes, and they are all special needs / high maintenance in ever-changing ways. You think the costs might go down over time? Think again! I think teens cost more than adults. And then they go to college like Ethan and Nick, whose parents are now suffering from maltuition! Costs gradually increase over the years until they finally reach their peak, which is the night you go bail them out of jail and bring them back to the basement you refinished for age 20-40! And all this started on a night we can't remember...from decades ago? A baby changes everything!

I used to write song parodies. No longer. They say that the mark of a true gentleman is a man who can write song parodies...but doesn't. But last week's "Sound of Music" Live reminded me of an old favorite which I will now share, to the tune of "Climb Every Mountain." It's called, "Drink from the Fountain," because our church in Savannah, Georgia had a lot of babies being born, and was pastored by a man who joked that it was all caused by the church water fountain. He wanted to grow the church, and so he encouraged all young couples to drink!

"Drink from the fountain, conceive a child

cast off inhibition, take a walk that's wild

Drink from the fountain, do not abstain

follow pastor's wishes, 'til you find your dream

A dream that will be, first a baby, then a kid

suddenly he's a teen, would you look at what we did!

[pointing at Kimberly]

Don't drink from the fountain, until it's time

Take every precaution! Sip not...and we'll be fine!"

Now, these truths are real, though tongue in cheek. We've taken much more time than usual with frivolities, but let's make some serious points:

Satan knew the Messiah was promised to come, and was watching carefully. And so, God smuggled His Son into the world in an obscure barn via the womb of a teenage virgin. And for Mary, everything changed...

"A Baby Changes Everything" by Faith Hill

A teenage girl, much too young

Unprepared for what's to come

A baby changes everything

Not a ring on her hand

All her dreams and all her plans

A baby changes everything

The man she loves she's never touched

How will she not lose his trust?

A baby changes everything

She has to leave, go far away

Heaven knows she can't stay

A baby changes everything

She can feel He's coming soon

There's no place, there's no room

A baby changes everything

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Shepherds all gather 'round

Up above the star shines down

A baby changes everything

Choir of angels sing

Glory to the newborn King

A baby changes everything

My whole life has turned around