Again, Laura and I thank you so much for your patience as we have taken time to think about what direction to take the next series of posts in our As He Leads Us series.
Today we are beginning a series on feeding. We are not totally sure at this point all the topics and directions this series will take, so we appreciate your prayers and feedback as we move forward. I was just telling Laura that I went to bed last night still quite unsure of how and where to begin, but God spoke a fresh word to me this morning, and I am confident of His prompting in starting right here with the foundation for making one of the first major choices you are called on to make for your child.
Readers of SortaCrunchy know that I am a breastfeeding advocate. The motivation for my advocacy stems from a desire for any woman who wants to pursue breastfeeding to have all of the resources, information, and support she needs to be able to do so. Today's post, however, may take some of you by surprise with the direction I feel called to take.
The first major decision we will make for our babies is the choice between breastfeeding, bottle feeding, or a combination of the two. There are many, many voices speaking to women today on this topic. I was going to post some links for examples of the clashing opinions and the swirling debates, but my goodness. Where would I start?
I think that somewhere in the cacophony of voices preaching, teaching, advocating, deliberating, analyzing, and proselytizing the breast versus bottle question, we as Christian women may neglect to listen hard after the one Voice who is able to speak absolute truth to our lives, our families, and our circumstances.
A foundation of the Christian faith is the premise that at the moment of belief in Christ, we are given the gift of the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, speaking to us the voice and words of our Father God. As believers, we know we can call upon and rely on the prompting of the Spirit within us in each decision we are called to make. I don't know about you, but I find that I tend to compartmentalize the topics in which I feel God would be interested in providing direction: Ministry opportunity? Yes. Marriage partner? You bet. A move to a new community or a new church? Certainly. Homeschool, private school, or public school my children? Absolutely.
Breast feed or bottle feed my baby? Well, see, my pediatrician says . . . but this parenting magazine says . . . and my best friend told me . . . and my grandmother's advice was . . . and the La Leche League leader said . . .
Sisters, this should not be!
Here's what God reminded me of this morning in studying His Word - we need to seek His truth for our family, for that child, before we listen and give heed to any other voice in this matter.
In John 16: 13, Jesus spoke, "But when he, the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth." All truth. The Truth that surpasses any wisdom of man - the Truth that speaks to every situation. Later, the Apostle John would write to the new church, "As for you, the anointing (referring to the anointing of the Spirit) you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit - just as it has taught you, remain in Him" (1 John 2:27, NIV, emphasis mine).
In context, of course, John was writing to the new believers to remind them that they need not make themselves susceptible to erroneous teachings because they thought themselves to be uneducated in God's truth. John is reminding them that the Spirit dwelling within them was enough to educate and enlighten them of the truth of God and His Word. But I don't think it's a stretch - do you? - to say that God's wisdom is enough to speak and teach us truth in any and every circumstance in our lives . . . including the decision of how we, as mothers, choose to feed the little ones He entrusts to us.
I feel strongly that the very first thing Laura and I need to speak about feeding is to make all aspects of this part of parenting a matter of prayer.
- As you partner with God in the miracle of growing new life, or as your family works through the laborious steps of adding to your family through adoption, don't neglect to desperately seek His truth for the direction He would have you take. (And may I say that I think this holds true if the new baby is your first or your fifth? What worked - or didn't work - with one child will most certainly not always be the same with the next.)
- As that little one grows and the time comes to start thinking about starting solid foods, may we not forget to once again seek God's direction on what and when to introduce them to in the bounty of foods He created to nourish and sustain us.
- As our children continue to grow, may we never minimize the importance of seeking His guidance in what we provide as nutrition for the little bodies growing up in our homes.
I know how very easy it is to allow the jumble of voices that speak to this topic to be given such volume that His still small voice is nearly silenced. Let us never lose the wonder of being loved by a God who has a word of truth for every single aspect of our lives. The God of the universe is intimately invested in the choices we make as parents, and He has a word for you. May each of us be desperate for His truth in the day we need it, and may we have the courage to trust His leading and direction, knowing that no one on the planet loves that little one He has chosen you to care for more than He.
