Held in Love
Held, Upheld, and Loved: Reflections on New Life and Church Family ✨
They say it takes a village to raise a baby, but for us, we have found that it takes a church family. Emmanuel Church is a place where community comes together to reflect God’s unconditional love, holding and caring for one another through every season of change, difficulty, and need.
In Paul’s letter to the Romans, we are reminded that "in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others" (Romans 12:5). Never was the reality of that truth made clearer to me than when we recently welcomed our third baby, Finneas, into the world—and straight into the arms of the most caring extended family you could ever ask for.
Inundated with Love in Thought, Deed, and Action
From the moment Finn arrived, our home was filled with tangible expressions of God's grace. There were hand-knitted cardigans, beautiful cards, flowers, chocolates, and even homemade fruitcake that literally sustained us during those bleary-eyed 2am night feeds! The bath salts, face cream, and bubble bath dropped on our doorstep made me, as a mother, feel so deeply seen and loved.
For at least a month, not a single day went by without someone dropping in, sending a thoughtful message, making a phone call, or posting a card—living out the call to "encourage one another and build each other up" (1 Thessalonians 5:11).
Whether it was someone answering a quick question (even for a third-time parent!), replying to a late-night text, or popping to the shop to grab Infacol for our unsettled baby, we saw Paul's words brought to life: "Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ" (Galatians 6:2). In every practical gesture, we saw Jesus. We didn't feel like simply members of a church congregation; we felt wrapped in the warm, living embrace of an extended family in Christ.
Faithfulness That Breathes Life
The prayers offered for us were a true lifeline. The time and effort people took to pray for Finn’s health and healing from colic and a suspected dairy intolerance, for my own physical recovery, and for our whole family as we adjusted breathed God's peace and fresh life into us when days felt like a blur, punctuated at times by frustration, sadness and a desperation for our baby to be content and happy.
I remember struggling into church when Finn was just four days old — perhaps something I wouldn’t recommend doing again! — but I went because I knew I would be held. Physically, emotionally, and spiritually, I knew it would be okay because someone would always be there to hold the baby... and, in turn, hold me in Christ's love.
Known, Cherished, and Belonging
From the moment Finn was first introduced on stage at church and we, as bleary-eyed parents, smiled with pride, we felt an overwhelming tide of warmth toward him. Today, he is truly known by his church family, loved deeply, and checked in on regularly. Having heard these familiar, loving voices for months, he is now completely comfortable in their arms as they speak to him as if he were their own.
Even through his early struggles and now as he is getting older, more wriggly and the interest can naturally wane, the ongoing support and love has never wavered.
It has been profoundly humbling to see the positive impact Finn has had on our congregation across all generations—from the youngest to the oldest. Watching the unfiltered joy and happiness he brings to others has been a profound reminder of how God’s love flows back and forth when a church family lives, loves, and walks together as one body.
