O, To Be Like Thee

There is something, and I am sure that most if not all parents would agree, so very humbling about parenting that sometimes just takes my breath away. Especially lately. Benjamin will be three (yes, THREE!) in just a few short months. He’s at that stage where he is repeating everything we say and paying attention to every little detail. He’s always got those beautiful blue eyes peeled wide open, just soaking it all in. Absorbing it. It’s amazing because I believe so many people underestimate how much information these tiny little minds can store. It’s humbling because it reminds me just how careful we need to be, because one thing that this little person wants to do, is … well, everything. Everything he sees us do.

It reminds me of a hymn that we sometimes sing … “O, To Be Like Thee” – you know the one? It gets me thinking … Benjamin really looks up to us. He really wants to be like us as much as possible. He wants to do what we do. He wants to say what we say. He wants to eat what we eat (which is difficult if what we’re eating has eggs in it – yes, still working with that allergy). He wants to drink what we drink (unless it’s a soda, because he thinks those are ‘yucky’). You would think sometimes that he would just be thinking desperately, “O, to be like mommy” or “O, to be like daddy”.

You see, he puts a lot of effort into being like mommy or like daddy.

And we sing “O, to be like Thee, blessed Redeemer, pure as Thou art” … but do we always put that effort into it?

Me … well, I will be the first to tell anyone that I’m not perfect. I do my best – sometimes not even that and I’m ashamed to say it! But it’s true. I don’t always do my best. I could do more. I know I can do more.

Oh! to be like Thee, full of compassion,
Loving, forgiving, tender and kind,
Helping the helpless, cheering the fainting,
Seeking the wand’ring sinner to find.

Loving … forgiving … tender and kind. Full of compassion. I can do better than what I’m doing now … certainly, I can.

So when Benjamin mimics me, he can also be mimicking Christ. Does that make sense? Wouldn’t it be wonderful if I could instill that in him … to put even more effort into being Christ-like when he’s older?

It starts with me, though.

Humbling, right? Sobering. My toes are all sorts of sore from treading on them this past week as I’ve been milling this thought around through my head, wondering why we sing such songs and never really take them to heart … Ouch, Kristen. It starts with me.

It starts with soaking up God’s word … and desiring to live Christ-like. O, to be like Him! I know I can do so much more than I have been. Y’all pray for me. I don’t always have my priorities in the right order.

Oh! to be like Thee, blessed Redeemer,
This is my constant longing and prayer;
Gladly I’ll forfeit all of earth’s treasures,
Jesus, Thy perfect likeness to wear.

Oh! to be like Thee, oh! to be like Thee,
Blessed Redeemer, pure as Thou art;
Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy fullness;
Stamp Thine own image deep on my heart.