Daddy-hood in 3D

I was just getting ready to warm up for my midlife crisis when my wife gave me the news… child number three was on the way.

I remember when I use to tease her about something like that happening.

Of course, we were thrilled; thrilled, excited, happy and grateful to the Lord for yet another miracle.

But, we weren’t prepared. We quickly took inventory of our situation and realized that space-wise, baby stuff-wise, energy-wise, money-wise -- and did I mention, space-wise?-- we may be lacking a bit.  

However, as time wore on we eventually got our bearings back and, after the ultrasound confirmed there was just one, we really did celebrate.

Now, mind you, we didn’t celebrate like we did when we were first time parents. Not because we weren’t as happy (certainly we were) but more because we weren’t physically able. After all, I was 26 when D1 (daughter number 1) arrived; I will be 40 when D3 finally makes her appearance (that D3 designation is also based on ultrasound confirmation). And in between, the time and effort spent chasing and playing with D2 - the 3-year old who came along when I was 37 - has certainly contributed to my aging process. (In fact, it was probably a blessing in disguise the day the windstorm took our trampoline.)

Sure, to be totally honest, we would have done it differently if the Lord would have allowed it. If it had been up to us, and not up to Him, there wouldn’t be nearly 11 years separating D1 and D2. Rather, our children (all 3 of the D's) would probably be in double-digit ages by now, which means the living room wouldn’t currently look like a toy box explosion and there wouldn’t be a cabinet stockpiled with D3’s diapers, ready and waiting, in my garage.

But I am thankful that it didn’t happen the way we had planned. If it had, then, on a perfectly acceptable schedule -- laid out before us in black and white -- we would have stepped through life one phase at a time and stepped right past this "He works in mysterious ways moment". Instead of installing an infant seat in the car, I'd probably be installing a ceiling fan in the man cave. Instead of helping to decide baby names, I would be helping to decide what to do with the spare bedroom when D1 flies the nest. Instead of opening our doors to Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny in the coming years, we would simply be longing for the days when they used to come around. 

But in His plans, the nest is not going to be empty for a while; cookies and milk will still be on our Christmas Eve "to do" list and, hopefully, "Daddy's home!" will be a familiar sound for years to come.

Yes,  that midlife crisis stuff will have to wait because Daddy-hood, it seems, is just getting started. And, instead of our own plans, laid out in black and white before us, we're following the Lord’s plans, laid out before us in all the vivid colors that we could never have planned for on my own.

So what if we we're not prepared? We're ready. Ready to experience His plans..... in 3D.