Thursday, December 6, 2007

Simone Beth'el Hume

I want to announce the recent birth of our firstborn—Simone Beth’el Hume. After an intense labor (the Epidural started waning towards the end), our little Simone was born on Monday, November 26 at 8:07pm. As my dad and close friends can attest, Simone made her entrance well heard to those anxiously waiting nearby in the lobby.

Without question it was one of the most amazing experiences in my life. Simone’s size was somewhat of a surprise considering that our doctor was concerned two weeks prior that she might be too small—however, 9lbs, 1oz (20 inches) is anything but small! That is a big baby especially for someone Aneta’s size!

Simone is absolutely gorgeous and has already stolen her daddy’s heart! Now Aneta and I are adjusting to life with our precious Simone. We have been blessed having Aneta's mom with us from Poland. She is a tremendous help to us—I’m not sure what we would do without her. There are times when we’ve been exhausted and she has stepped in to allow us some much needed rest!

Overall the past ten days have been nothing short of life changing. When Aneta gave birth to Simone Beth’el Hume, it started a chain reaction of understanding concerning the Father’s heart for me. Within one week I had a greater revelation of the Father’s heart for me than in the previous fifteen years walking with the Lord. Let me share a few of the highlights.

While Aneta was pregnant, I would often pray over Simone while also speaking tenderly to her, “Simone, this is your daddy speaking. Daddy loves his little Simone.” Almost every night I would speak these words to her prior to our bedtime—which coincided with her active movement in the womb. We knew she was awake during these times when I would bless her, pray over her and speak tenderly to her as her loving father.

Once she came out of the womb in the delivery room, the nurses plopped her naked body on a nearby table with a strong lamp shining on her to provide warmth. My heart was overwhelmed with joy and gratitude as I wept—meanwhile Simone continued to cry out fervently, a sound that was so pleasing to my ears. As the nurse worked on her I inched up closer and closer until my head was within two feet of my newborn daughter. Quietly, but assertively I spoke, “Simone, this is your daddy speaking. Daddy loves his little Simone.” Immediately the flailing arms were stilled whilst silence subdued this holy moment—Simone looked up over her head in the direction of my voice as if she recognized that voice. It was a poignant moment that I will never forget. It brought so much pleasure (and tears) to my heart to see my daughter respond to the sound of my voice.

Then I was permitted to hold Simone in my arms for the first time. As I held her, I kept whispering over her: “You are my daughter, whom I love; with you I am well pleased!” You may recognize this statement as the words spoken by the Father over Jesus as he was commissioned for his public ministry.

Mark 1:11And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”

That night as I held Simone for the first time, I thought I saw much of myself in her—yet I wasn’t sure if tt was just my own fabrication. However my wife came to the same conclusion. She even told her mother over the phone that Simone looked much like her daddy. Her mother assured her that probably wasn’t the case. Yet one of the first things she told Aneta after seeing Simone for the first time, “She looks like Brian!” In the days since that initial affirmation, I’ve had numerous people tell me the same thing. One friend that I’ve known since middle school wrote, “[M]aybe it's just because I know you, but I see a lot of her daddy in her!”

So what is my point in this?

When others tell me that they her daddy in Simone, it pleases my heart. This has given me a glimpse of how the Father feels when his image is clearly demonstrated in our lives. Christ reveals the Father—when others see Christ in us, they also see the Father. It brings such deep pleasure to the Father’s heart when His image is clearly visible in our lives. In the beginning, God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness,” (Genesis 1:26) Can others see Christ in you? Are you consistently demonstrating a greater measure of Christlikeness in your life?

Also I have had another tendency during the past week that has enabled me to capture a glimpse of the Father’s heart for me. There are moments when I am working, preparing dinner or writing—and I’ll have a strong desire to stop what I am doing so that I can simply gaze at my little Simone as she is sleeping. My heart is warmed as I look down into her crib while she is peacefully sleeping. Likewise, the Father simply enjoys looking down upon his sons and daughters who bear his image. This has increased my confidence in the Father’s desire for me.

These life changing moments elucidate the reality of the Father’s love for me. In the midst of working from home between changing diapers and learning the fine art of butt pasting, I’ve gleaned powerful insights into the Father’s heart for His sons and daughters! I hope you’ve been encouraged from my own experiences here. I’ve had to write this on the run as I juggle a number of different responsibilities.

Also keep me in your prayers as I prepare to preach this Sunday at Novum Baptist Church outside of Culpeper, Virginia. The Lord has given me a strong message on the Incarnation of Christ. Blessings!

For the Cause,

Brian Francis Hume

4 comments:

john heasley said...

Congratulations, God is good.

Christin said...

There's NOTHING like a Daddy with his girl. :) ...or THREE girls like my sweet hub. hee hee

Congrats, Brian!

Brian said...

brian, bless you all as a family, good to hear it all went well. Please pass on my love to aneta.

Kingdom Shifts said...

Thank you so much for your kind words. I've been so busy adjusting to life with Simone. However, I am picking up my writing again and I'm putting together a whole series on leadership. I'm quite excited about it! The Lord has given me some "good stuff" to write and share with the body of Christ.