life with Elliot

Life with Elliot is a life like no other I've experienced with a baby/toddler thus far. He absolutely keeps me on my toes and requires my consistency and even a fierce determination from me that I've never before known.

If I could sum it up, just a few events from this morning describe what almost every waking moment with him is like:

I brought him into the bathroom with me while I showered because leaving him awake with the other kids always results in disaster of some kind-- either a huge mess that they are in tears trying to keep up with, or him literally and physically beating them up while they are at a loss because they know they're not supposed to just hit him back.

Upon exiting my 5-minute shower, I realized all my clothes were missing from where I had left them on a stool nearby. All the bath toys were scattered and the toilet paper roll was completely unraveled. He had managed to open the sink vanity cabinet, which up until now had too strong a magnet for him, and had emptied the jars of hair ribbons, elastics, and barrettes all over the floor. At that point, he was busily squirting the contents of a toothpaste tube all over the stool that had previously had my clothes set upon it.

Forget the mess, the real question to me was where he had stashed my clothes.

And then it dawned on me.

Of course: the toilet.

Sure enough, I lifted the lid and my shorts, shirt, and undergarments were all squished in there. Lovely.

"Elliot, we don't play in the toilet," I said to him, pointing at the clothes.

He hit me in the face.

This is life with Elliot.

He is busy. He is determined. He is certain of what he wants and unwavering until he gets it. Harnessing his aggression and teaching him to yield his will have made for some of the hardest parenting battles I've yet faced, and I have 5 children older than him (some of whom have proved quite challenging in their own ways).

When I was expecting Elliot, for the first time as a mom I felt quite certain of the gender of the child I was carrying. So certain, in fact, that I didn't even bother packing a remotely feminine looking outfit in the hospital bag. I figured if I was wrong, the gray and white chevron one-piece wouldn't look entirely ridiculous on a girl until she got home and I could rectify the situation.

A big part of why I felt quite certain I would give birth to a boy was because I had felt quite certain that the name Elliot, the anglicization of Elijah, was what the Lord wanted for this baby, a baby who would have the courage to confront the false prophets and idols of his day. In addition, I happened to be reading a biography about Jim Elliot at the time and couldn't shake the sensation that the baby in my womb would have a similar passion and fearlessness to this missionary who laid down his very life for the God he loved and served.

In that sense, I shouldn't be surprised by the rawness of this sixteen-month-old that I face each and every day.

I try not to be.

Elliot is a force to be reckoned with. He doesn't easily back down. He doesn't quietly give up. He plain old wears me out. Already, there have been countless times that I have asked the Lord to win his heart at a young age because otherwise I fear I will be undone!

Yes, life with Elliot is an adventure. I am learning a lot about myself, namely how impatient, inconsistent, and apathetic I can be. I am learning to pray more. I am learning to enjoy the rare tender moments and to see beyond the inconvenience of his sheer determination to how God will use his relentlessness one day. There is a unique strength in him, a resilience and fierceness that when yielded to God will undoubtedly be an amazing tool in His hands. May Elliot give his life to Jesus and live it passionately, recklessly, and fearlessly for Him!

Elliot Hale

"my God is the Lord; hero"

Elliot trying to escape from the backpack carrier he was trapped in while on a family outing!