Lessons from an Ultrasound

I've been creating photo albums of my two sons to give as gifts for my family. I came across this page in our own family book . . .

(This is not my profile, by the way; it's just a generic die-cut.)

I remember how excited my husband and I were to find out the gender of our first baby. Back then we only got a regular ultrasound. (I always wanted to ask the technician during my second pregnancy a few years later why they skipped the 3-D version and started offering 4-D ultrasounds. Wouldn't it be awesome to put on 3D glasses and watch your baby on the screen reaching out towards you? But the opportunity never presented itself.)

The technician pointed out how he was yawning, rubbing his eyes, and making sucking motions with his mouth. We were both so amazed by how cute our baby was. Of course, the tech could've told us he was waving to us and giving us a double-thumbs-up signal and we would have believed her . . . kind of like when someone says they see a shape in a cloud and suddenly you can see it, too.

From the moment I became aware of my pregnancies, I have measured my boys' growth, looking forward to the weekly emails from a baby website telling me how my baby was changing and growing inside me. After each birth, I was so excited when they first smiled, rolled over, sat up, slept through the night (Hallelujah!), crawled, walked, etc.

I have measured their height every year on a Veggie Tales chart. I have cheered them on the first time they read a book on their own, learned to ride a bike, or swam across the pool. When I go in their rooms at night, I marvel at how big they've gotten and what amazing young men they've become.

Ephesians 2:10 (NLT) says, "For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago."

God is our Father. How much might my days change if I thought of God cheering me on to do good works? God might say, "Look at that! That guy cut her off and she didn't even yell at him. She even prayed for his safety!" Or, "Alright! She's starting her day with me!" How about: "Wow! She just set aside her needs to be attentive to her husband! I see growth."

Keep in mind that it's not like I'm picturing myself on a football field with God encouraging me as I move down the field toward the end zone with my good works. (Okay, maybe I'm picturing it that way just a little.)

Verses 8 and 9 of the same chapter (Ephesians 2) clearly state that salvation is by grace alone, not by our works . . . a gift. With gratitude to God for that gift, my salvation, I want to offer my life as a daily sacrifice. Knowing that God planned for me to do good things, just as I plan for my boys to do good things as they grow, encourages me.