“All life has inestimable value even the weakest and most vulnerable, the sick, the old, the unborn and the poor, are masterpieces of God’s creation, made in his own image, destined to live forever, and deserving of the utmost reverence and respect.”
– Pope Francis
I love babies. Baby showers? Not so much. I don’t think I’m alone. The games, the gift-opening, tiny sandwiches - just call me when the kid arrives. However, as my younger brother and his wife get closer to welcoming their first child, they decided to have a small gender reveal party with the family. I was happy to oblige (but still praying it would be efficient).
We gathered for dinner, dressed in the color of our gender prediction, and were eager to cut the cake with the answer inside. Frankly, at that point, I was more eager for the meatballs than anything else. As we gathered around the kitchen island and called my sister from Iowa on FaceTime for the big moment, my sister-in-law surprised me by asking me to pray before they cut the cake. I was honored and almost instantly as I began to pray, my desire to get it over with was replaced with a profound realization that this was a person we were celebrating - a long-awaited gift to our family and to the world who has already shaped both in some ways.
Regardless of what we were wearing, when the icing inside revealed the answer, we all cheered and began to dream out loud about who this little one would be to us and who we would be to this baby. Cousins self-appointed themselves as mentors and best friends. Grandmothers talked excitedly about the outfits and the adventures.
As my crew drove home and we continued to dream up all sorts of things for Baby Cellucci, I couldn’t help but wonder how often I gloss over the potential God plants in every life. Whether someone in the womb, or someone in the workplace, do I take time to reflect on who the Lord created that person to be and pray for what He has in store for them?
Thankfully, the celebration itself was efficient, but more importantly, it was effective in getting us even more excited to welcome this child and to remember the sacredness of every life. As we celebrate life this month, let’s be sure to reveal to each other that as children of God, He has big plans for all of us.
And yes, I’m purposely keeping you in suspense.
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