"Children Won't Wait"

I read this poem this morning and loved it.  Thought I would share it with you all.  No matter what stage you are in parenthood, this poem should mean a lot.  The first stanza talks about our experiences in pregnancy, then the newborn stage, and finally the toddler/child stage.

"Children Won't Wait"

There is a time to anticipate the baby's coming, a time to consult a doctor;
A time to plan a diet and exercise, a time to gather a layette.
There is a time to wonder at the ways of God, knowing this is the destiny for which I was created;
A time to dream of what this child may become,
A time to pray that God will teach me how to train this child which I bear.
A time to prepare myself that I might nurture my child's soul.
But soon there comes the time for birth,
For babies won't wait.

There is a time for night feedings, and colic and formulas.
There is a time for rocking and a time for walking the floor,
A time for patience and self-sacrifice,
A time to show that my child's new world is a world of love and goodness and dependability.
There is a time to ponder what my child is - not a pet nor toy; but a person, an individual - a soul made in God's image.
There is a time to consider my stewardship. I cannot possess my child.
This child is not mine. I have been chosen to care for, to love, to enjoy,
To nurture and to answer to God for this child.
I resolve to do my best for this child,
For babies don't wait.

There is a time to hold my child close and tell the sweetest story ever told;
A time to enjoy earth and sky and flower, to teach my child of wonder and reverence for God and all He has made.
There is a time to leave the dishes, to swing my child in the park,
To run a race, to draw a picture, to catch a butterfly, to give my child happy comradeship.
There is a time to point the way, to teach toddler lips to pray,
To teach my child's heart to love God's Word, to love God's way.
For children don't wait.

We are limited in our time with our children.  We need to train them, love them, play with them, and teach them God's Word in the short amount we have.  It's up to us...For they won't wait for us to do these things...They grow up too fast!