Preparation

As I round the bend into this last month of pregnancy, I’m trying to check off the remaining items on my to-do list.  I’m enjoying the process of setting up the nursery, since I didn’t have the pleasure of doing so with the twins (our families kindly painted, decorated and organized it for me while I was hospitalized).  The nursery is pretty well stocked with diapers, wipes, blankets, sheets, and those types of items.  But, as of a few days ago, I hadn’t yet filled the dresser drawers with clothes.  Part of the reason was because I needed to go through the girls’ old clothing and see if I had any gender-neutral items I could use again.  I finally remembered to have Jim take the boxes down from the basement shelves, and I spent a long time sorting through the newborn, 0-3 and 3-6 month items.  I came away from this nostalgic experience with a few impressions:

1)  Our friends and family were amazingly generous with their gifts and hand-me-downs.  I honestly don’t think I bought a single item of clothing for the girls in their first six months of life. 

2)  People really like to shop for twin girls.  There’s just something enchanting about buying matching frilly outfts. 

3)  I can’t believe my girls were ever so little.  I kept holding up those preemie and newborn outfits and shaking my head in disbelief. 

4)  I’m so thankful I had one baby shower prior to announcing we were expecting girls last time.  The green and yellow sleepers are going to be put to good use this second time around.  

5)  It seems so silly to put all these perfectly good clothes back into boxes because they’re pink and purple.  It wouldn’t be that bad to dress our son in a few flowery onesies, now would it?  (Jim, don’t answer that).   

After I filled a big basket full of the girls’ clothes that I can use for the baby, I realized I still needed to go through all the newly-purchased items to remove the tags and wash them.  But I balked.  I couldn’t do it.  Right now, I have all the adorable new clothes that we’ve received from friends and family folded and sorted by size, but they still have the tags on.  It’s not that I expect to return these items.  I’m not really worried or anxious about the health of the baby; I’ve actually felt quite relaxed during this pregnancy, an attitude which has surprised me most of all.  But there’s something so final and certain and confident about washing new baby clothes, as if I’m counting my chicken before he hatches, so to speak. 

But I keep reminding myself that it’s really no different than removing the tags from my own new clothes, or from Becky and Susie’s clothes.  None of us, no matter how old or young, are guaranteed to be around tomorrow to wear those new outfits.  The Bible says, “…You do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes” (James 4:14).  Yet despite this uncertainty about the brevity of life, none of us are called to be paralyzed with fear, but rather to ensure that we are prepared for eternity and then to go about our lives here serving the Lord and trusting Him.  I need to trust that He knows what’s best for me and for my family, and will do all things for His glory and our edification. 

So, as I begin to fill the drawers with newly washed baby clothes, I can rest assured that just as I am providing for the needs of my son, the Lord is providing for the needs of His children.  I am washing my son’s clothes in preparation for earthly life, and the Lord has washed away my sins in preparation for eternal life.  I don’t know how long any of us will spend here on earth, but I know that those who are washed in the blood of the Lamb will spend forever with the Lord.