Humilty and Child Rearing

Having a child is a humbling experience. It's most humbling for the mother; who is poked and prodded; shaken and stirred as doctors and labor and delivery nurses enter and exit her narrow hospital room in their seemingly endless quest to "measure" something. Then there's the endless parade of nursery nurses and breast-feeding experts coming in and out of her room wanting to "check" to see how the nursing is going. Soon, I suspect, a woman begins to feel as though her body is simply on display like a nude exhibit at a seedy New York art gallery.

Newborns are humbling for dads too. As many of you know, I do my fair share of public speaking, teaching and preaching, so I've come to believe that I'm pretty good at it. Last night, my almost-one-week-old taught me differently. As her mother was slumbering, I began to tell Katharine about her family - who her mom, sister, and dad are, what she needed to know about Christmas and how we celebrate birthdays. Trust me, I was telling GREAT stories! Low and beyond, as I reached the crescendo of my magical story-weaving, I looked down anticipating the anxious eyes of my daughter and there she was...asleep!

Can you believe that?

I was insulted!

Yet, in my gentle, fatherly, comforting way, I leaned over to her ear and said, "Do you know people PAY to hear me speak?"

Alas I let her off the hook, telling myself; "This is just my first sermon to her, she's got a lot more coming."