1 Unless the LORD builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over
the city, the watchman stays awake in vain.
2 It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep.
3 Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward.
4 Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one's youth.
5 Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate. (Psalm 127:1-5)
The first night home from the hospital was pretty terrifying. In the hospital, nurses come in the room every few hours and they're never more than a phone call away from coming to help you in between. You don't even think to check baby in the night because all the medical resources in the world are on the other side of your door. Then, you come home to your house and everything once familiar is now scary. Is that bassinet really safe? Is the temperature too cold? Too hot? How will we know if she stops breathing in the middle of the night?
Fortunately for us, we have the most amazing friend who do things like drive to your house at 10:30 that first night to let you borrow their "is baby still breathing?" monitor. Also, more so, we prayed till we couldn't think of more words. Because monitors really only bring so much reassurance. We ingested massive amounts of scripture, lots of psalms.
Psalm 127, though familiar, became dear in a fresh way. We could stay up all night worrying over her, but would it do any good? Unless the LORD watches over a city, its watchmen stay awake in vain.
The next morning, on the way to that first pediatric appointment, Casey and I reflected on some ways God had cared for us on that first scary night. We remembered psalm 127 again, and for the first time, it made absolute perfect sense to me that the second half of the psalm is about children being a heritage from the LORD. I honestly think that psalm is for new parents! It's like, hey, stop worrying about this little girl as if you love her more than the LORD. Don't you remember he's the one Who gave her to you in the first place? A heritage from the LORD.
And, remember this God is the same God of psalm 121, who never sleeps. He watches over all three of you while you all sleep. He guards your life. He guards hers. And so it goes, we keep meeting God in the scary hard places, and it's not the way we'd choose, but it is good. Thank you Father.
