On June 3rd my wife Heather and I welcomed our first child, Johnathan Daniel into the world. It truly was the most amazing experience my wife and I have ever had, one that I know has bonded us together in ways never reached before. Johnathan’s birth brought with it more elements of emotion and depth of experience than I can’t adequately share; there is a new level of richness of life that is waiting to be explored!
We have received so much love and support from family, friends, and church, and it has truly made a tremendous difference. On more than one occasion I have felt that we do not deserve so much love! It is a strange experience for us humans, I think, to encounter the unparalleled love of God because we know that we do not have that kind of love in us. It is as if we are startled by the divine and find ourselves out of place suddenly, and can even be uncomfortable. There comes a sense of obligation to repay it, or at least to properly receive it, but in the end it would seem the only proper response is humility, gratitude, and joy. Thank you to all who have participated in this tangibly and intangibly.
Obviously, Heather and I are getting lots of new experiences. There are the ones you might expect like finding out how to function on little sleep, the joys of diapers and all they contain, becoming acquainted with the strange language of baby cries, and discovering just how much you can be utterly enthralled with just looking at your child. One experience that I have particularly delighted in is the love I have for Heather now. You could say that I love her more, but I don’t know if that accurately describes it. My love for her is now intertwined with our love for Johnathan. It is as if God has increased my love for her greatly so that a love for Johnathan would be born out of it.
It is hard for me to describe the wonders we have experienced lately, and I am sure that my inability to do so is certainly impacted by less sleep. But I can say with certainty that it is a wonderful adventure we have been given and Heather and I look forward to sharing it with you all as time goes on. May the Father bless you as richly as He as blessed us!
- Chris Schlender
BCC Childrens Pastor
