Find Grace In Every Moment - Live One Day At A Time

By Josephine Lim-Weston

When I was single, I saw mothers chasing after their children in the supermarket, I saw parents changing their babies' dirty nappies, I saw toddlers throwing their food on the floor, etc and I said to myself it's not easy being a parent and I'm fine with or without children if ever I get married. Many years ago I was being asked by my youngest aunt to babysit her 1 or 2 year old daughter. I remember praying, singing and doing everything I knew how to calm my little cousin so she would sleep. I prayed even more and with faith that she would not cry for nappy change as I really don't like the nappy business. Praise be to God, her parents came back that late evening and I gladly returned my little niece to them intact including her nappy without changing it. Now she is 17 years old and she still remember I sang and babysat her. Now I have a baby. In the first month of me being a mother I found it difficult to look after a baby but I found grace in every moment by living one day at a time and cherish each moment. I've surprised myself how far I had come now that I'm looking after baby Jean-Luc by myself most of the time while my husband at work.

It's our tendency to worry about the future. Most of the time we give in to worry, fear and insecurity. We have greater tendency to think we can't and it's impossible than being optimistic. There's a saying, "Things are not as bad as it seems." All the years of my life I've had good and bad dreams and whenever I'm anxious of something most likely I will have bad dreams for example, I failed my exam or missed the submission date or being late for appointment or missed the train or bus, etc. But did all these happened as what happened in my dreams? No.

Baby Jean-Luc is very active especially at night and he doesn't like sleeping at night or middle of the night. At 4 months old he likes to play. He wants me to hold him up so he can walk and climb. He enjoys it very much. He sleeps more restfully in the morning and afternoon. Each time when evening approaches, I was afraid especially the first 2 months of having Jean-Luc when he used to cry and was not wanting to sleep, but I told myself not to give in to fear and I asked the Lord for wisdom to be a good parent hence I found grace in time of need. He now weighs more than 7kg, and holding him up while he's walking slowly and joyfully looking around is not an easy feat as it requires strength and stamina. When he got a cold and was coughing away with a blocked nose I had to hold him to sleep through the night as he didn't want to sleep on the bed, but I found grace and pulled through it all each day and night with 7kg in my arms. Looking at Jean-Luc truly he brought so much of joy to our family and to his grandparents too. He doesn't like me doing other things while feeding him. He wants me to look into his eyes and he would hold on to my fingers or hands with his cute little chubby hand.

Looking after a baby can take so much of your time but by the grace of God I still manage to do lots of things and sometimes with my husband's help I'm able to design cards, etc.

Also another thing I've learnt if ever we got delayed by public transport or traffic or even it was due to our fault don't start blaming everything else or ourselves. I used to think that the whole world and the enemy conspire against me when I'm delayed and I would questioned why God wasn't helping when I asked him for a miracle. Then now I'm more mature, if the delay is not cause by my action I take it as it's all in God's plan as time is all orchestrated by him. If it's our own fault, be honest enough to admit it as we'll find grace and mercy even in admission then we'll know how good God is. I remember once I was late for work because of tube/train delay, while walking to work a lady pulled out her travel card from her back pocket and at the same time dropped her credit card while stopping an arriving bus and running for it. I quickly ran up and picked up her credit card and called out to her. If I hadn't been delayed, I would not have been there to pick up the card and she would have lost it entirely. The same thing happened again one week after to a man walking his dog and he dropped his card from his back pocket before I rushed out from the car after my husband had safely parked. I picked up the payment card but the man just disappeared with his dog from the open carpark in the service stop.

Let us live one moment at a time, one day at a time, take one step at a time and cherish every moment as we will find grace in each moment as God sees us through. So have no fear and don't do anything in haste or succumb to a momentary frustration of which we will regret. God's grace is sufficient for us. All that we are allowed to face in life we are more than conquerors in Christ Jesus. Always ask God for wisdom so we will be able to see a bigger picture and not be frustrated.

James 1:5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.

2 Corinthians 12:9 And He (Jesus) said unto me, My grace is sufficient for you: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather boast in my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.