Unexpected Item


Do you remember when Walmart first installed the self-checkout lines?  They were so cool!

Over a decade ago, I went with my future husband to pick up a few items at Walmart and had a funny surprise:  while I was waiting for him to check out his purchases, I leaned up against the checkout area.  When he placed his purchase there, the machine loudly declared, "UNEXPECTED ITEM!"  Josh looked at me with a funny grin on his face and said, "Yep - You're my unexpected item!"  He realized all the items had specific weights and my leaning on the scale (of which I was unaware) caused the alarm to go off.

Neither one of us expected to find the perfect match, yet there we were!

As married life has progressed, I've heard the mental shout of "UNEXPECTED ITEM" many times.  After two years of marriage, we decided it was time to try to have a baby.  When the baby came, it was an Unexpected Item.  I thought having a baby meant having a sweet little someone to snuggle and life would could continue as usual.  We were completely unaware that "unexpected items" would be included with the baby.  

After the first two weeks of having our newborn at home, with exactly zero hours of sleep logged, I realized this was not what I expected.  Reeeally not what I expected.  Spending all night with a screaming, hungry baby and praying for the sunrise (because that is when she would finally drift off to sleep) - that was not on my agenda.  Nor were piles of grody newborn laundry; extremely complicated shopping trips; and my new title of "24-hour All-You-Can-Eat Buffet."


What to Expect When You're Expecting...you forgot to include a few important details.  


For instance: Attention pregnant mothers: prepare to never have another moment to yourself, forget all your interests and hobbies, and let your college degree gather dust for the sake of raising your child(ren).

Another consequence of motherhood may be also be increasing humility, giving of self, and realization that motherhood is a higher calling than any other.  It requires dying to self.

Selfish needs and desires are pushed out of the way for the sake of an infant's needs, a toddler's interests, and a child's intense need to know and experience everything.  I haven't passed up the child stage yet, but I imagine more changes will be required.

Gradually, chips that were firmly placed on my shoulder are being worn away to reveal the person God wants me to be.  A better reflection of him.

Perhaps that is why, in 1 Timothy 2:15 it says, "Woman can be saved through childbearing."  Spiritual salvation can only be accomplished through faith in Jesus, but I think what this addresses is - the complete about face from being self-absorbed people.  Parents learn how to serve others before themselves, in love.

Saved from a self-centered life?  Thanks, kids!!

I know I have a long way to go, but I'm glad I'm at the point where I don't fight this change any more.  I try to go with the flow and adapt as needed.  Easy is not a word I'd use to describe one of these changes, rather, I'd choose necessary. 

I was talking with a teenage friend this week and mentioned that my three-year-old had dressed himself for the first time.  Instead of being allowed to bask in the glory of his new steps toward independence, the teenager continued the thought:  "He put on his clothes for the first time today, and tomorrow he'll be graduating from high school."

Yep - she's right.   Our daughter's first 8 years have flown by.  In 8 more years, she'll be driving and 2 years after that, she'll be graduating high school.


I pray you and I can be the best parents we can be in these few short years as our families grow up around us.

When the next unexpected item comes, I pray we will embrace it gladly, knowing God's got it covered.  We just need to trust him to guide us through.  Nothing surprises God.

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Image source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walmart


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