Kruis Connection: Luke Alexander Kruis

Our sweet baby boy finally arrived and I was so blessed to have a safe labor and delivery. My water broke at 1:45am April 24th and I was so excited I jumped out of bed and loudly awoke my sleeping hubby. I wanted to get to the hospital as quickly as possible because when I was in labor with Hannah I didn't make it with enough time to get an epidural and I was hoping to not repeat that experience. So off we went and arrived with plenty of time to get my epidural (yay!!). At 7:32am Luke was born with only a few pushes (but since he is my fourth baby it isn't that surprising that he practically fell out of me). He came out with a full head of black curly hair, just to confirm to everyone that he belongs to me. The miracle of birth never ceases to amaze me. Those emotions you feel as you finally get to hold your baby in your arms and marvel at his existence are overwhelming. Knowing Luke was knit together by our loving creator and created to bring glory to God is amazing. Not only does the bible tell us that God perfectly designed us in his image and knows the number of hairs on our head but he also knows every good work we will ever do (Ephesians 2:10). Every good deed Luke will ever perform in his life was already known before the foundations of the earth, how miraculous!

I love holding and looking at my son and am trying to savor all these new moments. I love his soft skin, the way he smells, his dark soft hair, his dark blue eyes (we will have to see what color they end up being), the noises he makes, his long fingers and narrow feet. I love when he looks at me and I love watching his sisters kiss him. Claire and Grace received their baby brother with open arms and haven't stopped dotting on him since. They ask me constantly if they can hold him and they love playing with him. Yesterday my mom told me that while Luke was awake in his crib, Claire went through his closet and showed him every one of his new outfits. The baby who was just 'dethroned' (as we say around here) took a little bit more time warming up to her brother. Hannah poked him a few times at the hospital and ignored him for a day or two before finally coming around. She is now kissing him and loves to help me burp him. She ignored me too when I first got home from the hospital but after 3 days she finally let me hold her and kiss her. Poor Hannah, had to give up her role as baby but I think she has accepted her new role as big sister.

In my morning devotions I just started reading in the book of Joshua and I came across some verses that made me think of my new little son. In our household it is of number one importance that we teach our children about God. The bible commands us as believers to diligently teach our children God's law (the bible) and write it on their hearts by speaking of it as we sit in our house, when we walk by the way, and when we lie down, and when we rise (Deuteronomy 6:5-7). Jason and I know God exists and we know that he granted us salvation not because of anything we did but because he is a gracious, loving God. We strive to love the Lord our God with all our heart, with all our soul, and with all our strength and because of this we take very seriously our role as parents who are privileged to evangelize and share the beauty of the gospel with our children. Back to my reading in Joshua, there are endless books in the bible that tell us to meditate on the bible but in Joshua the command to do so seems ideally suited to a man. It just seemed a manly way to say what I already do with my girls so I thought it fitting for the new little man in our house.

Joshua 1:7-9
"Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to the all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go. This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."

My hope for our son Luke is that he will one day do what this verse says. That he will be strong and courageous for the Lord. That he will love the word of God so much he will want to meditate on it day and night and he will strive to live his life according to the law of the Lord.