From Destruction to Construction

I rummage through the tool chest, searching for a Phillips head screwdriver, a hex wrench, and an adjustable wrench. Somehow, that's way too many tools--and yet not enough--to dismember a fixture in my house for the past three and a half years.

Taking down the baby cribs has been on my "to do" list for quite some time, one of those things I have wanted to do...but not really. Yet, the carpal tunnel in my wrists has been inflamed the past few weeks, partly because of the repetitive dead lifting of 28 1/2 pounds each time little hands raise and I hear "up."

So, armed with my father's help and husband's tools, I separate Bolt A from Slot B and stack the pieces outside against the wall.

My family and I still call them "the babies;" yet they're anything but. Their growing bodies, increasing vocabulary, and blossoming skills show my twins to be very much toddlers, little people.

This afternoon, when I placed Amelia and Emerson in their "new" toddler beds, they looked so big, so grown up. Although I expected chaos to reign during nap time, after one false start with Emerson, nap time perfectly and silently fulfilled its definition.

It's an understatement to say I hate change. So, I'm always fearful when I make changes around here, expecting my DNA in them to result in the same characteristics.

But Amelia proved me totally wrong again. After her bedtime cup of milk, she and I always read a book, point to each family member in the hall photo, and laughingly grin at ourselves in the long mirror.

Not tonight.

Instead, she promenaded down the hall, haughtily looking over her shoulder at me and my attempts to get her to come back for our routine. I finally gave up, following to her bed where she quietly climbed in and lay down.

Mommy is a bit sad she's in a grown up bed. But Amelia? She doesn't have the words to say so, but her actions show she's proud of it. So, I put the blanket over her, turn off the light, and walk back down the hall to review today's pictures.

And I smile. I see more tools, this time not taking apart, but putting together--men carefully placing one board after another to create my family a new home. A place for my children to grow from toddlers to teenagers. A place for my husband and me to grow old together.

This change--it warms me with promise, hope, and evidence of God's faithfulness and love