The Magic of Parenthood

Photo by Creative Commons user taylor library

For the most part, everyone talks about the magic of parenthood, and the highest levels of fulfillment one finds in having children.

But what they don't tell you is that it ruins your life.

For the better that is.

In the process of having my life ruined by two kids, I happened upon a secret of Christianity. When God ruins our lives, it is always for the better.

Unfortunately, this line of thinking isn't very prevalent. In fact, it is usually the exact opposite. We tend to think that once we believe, our life is a upward spiral that culminates in heaven. Unfortunately, it's just not true. The further along we go in life, the more it is ruined. We find that when we give ourselves to something, or someone, the simple math dictates that we lose something of ourselves at the same time. But, we also come to see how fulfilling it is.

Need some examples? Here are 3 ways that having kids ruins you for the better.

1) Increased productivity. Every friend I've talked to that has children has the same thought, "What on earth did I do with my free time before this child came on the scene?" The amount of time you have drops dramatically, but still you will find a way to get the things that are important done. All of the things that you think are required for a full life (Xbox, going to movies, using the restroom without having someone banging on the door) are revealed as trivial. After a couple of weeks, you don't even miss them.

2) Losing is gaining. Coming into my 30's, I have several friends who still do not have kids. I see their wide open evenings and ability to wear the same outfit all day without fear of being vomited on and find myself becoming jealous. But, I quickly realize that the personal time that I have given up pales in comparison to what I'm getting in return. The enjoyment I get out of 5 minutes with my kids is exponentially higher than the best thing I could think of on my own.

3) Increased understanding of God. Some would call this a positive, but it has its ruinous implications as well. I would remind you of Isaiah's encounter with God in the Old Testament. It completely ruined him. The same happens with encountering God through your children. You realize what kind love the father has for us, and what lengths He goes to for our good. You also realize how discipline works on a deeper level, and that is ruinous unto itself. You realize that it takes a while to make good things happen. That just because the bottle isn't in their screaming mouth, doesn't mean that you aren't heating up the milk.

Today's post was written by my friend Caleb McNary. Caleb runs and writes for CalebMcNary.com, and is the Director of Operations for Justin McClure TV, an animation and video production studio in Wichita, KS.

If you enjoyed this post, check out more of Caleb's posts on his personal blog, HERE.

Also, be sure and follow Caleb on Twitter, HERE.

One last thing, as usual, my latest Breaking Bad recap will post at TV Asylum around noon (ET). Make sure you check it out!