Gift of Life

My baby son is kicking me right now as I write this very first article. I think he knows that I am going to talk about him!

6 months into my pregnancy and I can't help but notice how much my heart has changed. Thinking and planning for the practicality of raising a child - whether to hire a live-in maid or not, to keep a full-job or not, to have a natural birth or not, what kind of visions my husband and I have for our little family, etc., brings  our lives to focus. 

After much prayer and discussion with my husband, it has dawned on me that it is about getting my heart right. Life is not measured by how much money one makes, how successful one's career is, how sophisticated one's hobbies are. It is about whether one truly appreciates the good things in life - marriage, family, friendship, health, spiritual growth, wisdom, knowledge, beauty etc., and whether one truly lives out his or her life according to one's true self, without pride or shame, as evident by the spiritual fruits of one's life. Does my life yield good fruits, like kindness, peace, joy, perseverance, self-control, and charity? Or does it reek of greed, envy, jealousy, anger, and depression? 

Money is the natural outcome of living our lives well. But if we makes money our master, we are going to miss out the truly precious things in life because money is only one of the many means God uses to bless us. 

This gives me conviction to put our family first. I will not sacrifice the precious relationship with our precious little son, nor the peaceful privacy at our home for a glamorous career, or for money. At the same time, I realise that it pleases God to fully utilise my talents regardless of my job title, and putting motherhood first does not necessarily mean having no career at all, according to Proverb 31. And that's how I started praying about becoming a successful freelancer and women ministry leader while staying home to bring up our little boy in a way that pleases God.

And amazingly,  after praying about that, doors after doors open -  my husband and I have met no fewer than 6 people within 10 days who are either thinking about becoming a stay-home mom/freelancer, or useful business contacts for future freelance projects. God is really opening doors!

I don't know what tomorrow brings, but I know that our God will bless our marriage and our family when we follow His guidance. And He always give us sufficient guidance, resources and grace everyday, so that we can learn to trust him as our future unfolds, and live one day at a time instead of troubling ourselves with things we can neither foresee or control. 

And I am so grateful for the love, support, friendship and prayers of my husband, the father of our son. 

My son, my son. Your Daddy and Mummy are ever so grateful for you, a tremendous gift from our God. No matter what the worlds says about the challenges of parenthood, it is our joy and blessing to love and care for you, and watch you grow from a baby to a boy and to a man. We love you very, very much, and we can't wait to meet you face to face in good time.