Our baby boy is 9 months old today. So glad to finally have him forever with us!  WOW this little guy’s life is totally changing, but one thing for sure that will never change… our love for him and Jesus’ love for him. What a special blessing the Lord has given us!

I was just thinking of all of the things that have changed in Joshua’s first nine months….

• He has a new family – new mommy and daddy, new sister, new grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, puppy etc…
• He has been exposed to hearing three different languages spoken around him:
  • First two months -  Tigrinya (the language of the area of Ethiopia where he is from)
  • Next 6.5 to 7 months – Amharic (the language spoken in Addis Ababa and most of Ethiopia)
  • Now – English

• He will have a new home with a new room and a new crib in a new country.
• He will have a new church pastored by his new grandpa and grandma
• He is eating a new diet
• He will see new faces everywhere
• His time zone will change. Night will turn into day and day into night
• He will have a new first name and last name.
• He will be receiving new amounts of love and attention, and in just the short time we have had him so far, he has learned that every time he cries someone will come running to help him.

There is a statement of Jesus in the book of Revelation 21:5… “Behold I make all things new!” 2 Corinthians 5:17 says we are new creations in Christ Jesus… old things are passed away, and all things have become new. The changes happening in this little man’s life are a picture and a parable of the changes that happen in the life of any individual who gives their heart to the Lord… from the moment they cry out change takes place, and all things are made new!

I want to share a quick story of something that happened the other day to illustrate this point further. We were so happy that Joshua was adjusting well to us, but at the same time in a funny way, we were concerned because he hadn’t cried much at all. Then something happened that helped calm our fears, and helped us to realize that he was bonding with us and realizing that when he cried we would come. I put him down in his crib for a second after holding him, and he began to wimper. This may sound crazy, but joy filled my heart when I heard that cry! I began to think about our Father in heaven and how that must be what He feels when His children cry out in prayer for help! Reminds me of a song by Rich Mullins years ago the chorus of which goes like this:

Just like we long to run and hold our little ones and answer their cries when they call for help or comfort, just like we love to hear their cries, our Father in Heaven loves to hear us cry out to Him any time of the day or night, and He loves to run and hold us and comfort us and bring us peace.

Phil. 4:6-7 says: “^6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; ^7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

Is life crazy right now? Does it seem like things are changing so fast that you can’t keep up? Does it seem like you are all alone and no one cares? Do what this verse says and like our little Joshua discovered about his new mommy and daddy, you will find that when you cry out to Jesus, He will run to you and hold you and give you peace!