One Little Heart Beat at a Time

I’ve been so touched by the tragedy the Chapman family is going through right now. Every time I hear Steven’s song “Cinderella” my eyes well with tears and I just keep asking God to love on their family, give them peace that passes understanding, and bless them in the midst of all this pain. Today they say goodbye to little Maria and trust her to the loving arms of Jesus, the One who has always held her but now will take her hand in heaven.

Even though I don’t know them personally, I feel more connected to their pain as a new mother. I see every danger and all the pain in the world and I know that I can’t protect Ethan from all of it. I can’t protect my own heart from breaking either. God allows some pretty crazy things to happen to really great people. It’s so hard to understand.

I was listening to Steven Curtis Chapman’s album “Cinderella” as I cleaned up the house after I put Ethan in his crib for the night. I felt like typing out the lyrics to “One Heartbeat at a Time” and expressing in writing some of the feelings stirring in my heart tonight. So I pause for a moment, just as Steven encourages all parents to do, take the time for that which is fleeting. The following is dedicated to all my friends who are new moms and both my dear mothers, my grandmothers, and all the women who have “mothered” me.

You're up all night with a screaming baby
You run all day at the speed of life
And every day you feel a little bit less
Like the beautiful woman you are

So you fall into bed when you run out of hours
And you wonder if anything worth doing got done
Oh, maybe you just don't know
Or maybe you've forgotten

You, you are changing the world
One little heartbeat at a time
Making history with every touch and every smile
Oh, you, you may not see it now
But I believe that time will tell
How you, you are changing the world
One little heartbeat at a time

With every "I know you can do it”
Every tear that you kiss away
So many little things that seem to go unnoticed
They're just like the drops of rain over time
They become a river

And you, you are changing the world
One little heartbeat at a time
Making history with every touch and every smile
Oh, you, you may not see it now
But I believe that time will tell
How you, you are changing the world
One little heartbeat at a time

You're beautiful
You're beautiful
How you're changing the world
You're changing the world

You, you are changing the world
One little heartbeat at a time
Making history with every touch and every smile
Oh, you, you may not see it now
But I believe that time will tell
How you, you are changing the world
Oh, I believe that you
You are changing the world
One little heartbeat
At a time

And you're changing the world


I am reminded again of the significance of this blog as I watch baby Adir - my dear friends' infant son - so his parents can go on their first date in four months! Adir fell asleep in my arms just as Ethan woke up crying - ready to eat again. So I played this song as I stroked Adir on my left side and fed Ethan on my right, smiling at this moment that so quickly passes.

People ask me all the time what I do while David attends medical school. While he learns how to keep hearts beating, I now know that I’m changing the world….one little heart beat at a time. The things my children will accomplish in their lifetimes will far surpass my accomplishments. Their service will outstretch mine. I will smile as I watch them grow and follow their God given purposes, knowing that I had a hand in it all. It’s my pleasure to love and train God’s little servants. There isn’t anything else in the world I would rather be doing right now. God bless all mothers and help them all fully embrace the season they are in!