Martin Luther and Changing Diapers...

If I thought I had little time before becoming a mommy, I was grossly misled. Not, of course, because I am constantly tending to Eli's needs which include feeding every three hours, changing his diapers (which appear to be getting somewhat tight--he is still in size 1), and ensuring that he gets his sleep. I am doing each of those things, but even more than these, I am savoring his presence in our home. I delight in seeing him smile at me after he's eaten and he's laying on my lap. I (somewhat foolishly) feel huge sighs of relief when he has just taken a quality nap because I know he needs it. I love watching him stare intently at an object in the most all-consuming way--as if it's the COOLEST thing he's ever seen. Unfortunately, he's developed an interest in the television, which is quite unfortunate as I assumed it would at least be a few more months until we had to limit our tv time.

Michael and I have been listening to a myriad of sermons from Doug Wilson on parenting, marriage, and the covenant home, and I can speak for both of us in saying we have been greatly enriched by Wilson's wisdom. I was reminded in a sermon about the differences in men and women that in whatever task you are undertaking, you are to do it to the glory of God--even changing diapers, as Luther stated. Having never heard of Luther discussing diapers, I came home and attempted to find the quote in question. I've read and re-read the following excerpt many times and have been immensely blessed after each reading.

Our culture is teaching us to view parenting as a hindrance to our pursuit of happiness, that it's a crap shoot in terms of how our children will turn out, that our children will grow to think we're know-nothings. But Scripture speaks in bold, confident language as it teaches us how to raise our children. There are promises kept to parents who have faith in those promises and abide by them, and I take great respite in knowing that my work now, as a mother to a 10 week old, is eternal work: a "golden and noble work," as Luther puts it.

As Eli continues to grow, our prayer as a family is that our home would be a place of affection, peace, and joy. Even when Eli is receiving his 10th spanking for repeating the same offense. Boy, how I look forward to those days!

Now observe that when that clever harlot, our natural reason (which the pagans followed in trying to be most clever), takes a look at married life, she turns up her nose and says, “Alas, must I rock the baby, wash its diapers, make its bed, smell its stench, stay up nights with it, take care of it when it cries, heal its rashes and sores, and on top of that care for my wife, provide for her, labour at my trade, take care of this and take care of that, do this and do that, endure this and endure that, and whatever else of bitterness and drudgery married life involves? What, should I make such a prisoner of myself? 0 you poor, wretched fellow, have you taken a wife? Fie, fie upon such wretchedness and bitterness! It is better to remain free and lead a peaceful. carefree life; I will become a priest or a nun and compel my children to do likewise.”

What then does Christian faith say to this? It opens its eyes, looks upon all these insignificant, distasteful, and despised duties in the Spirit, and is aware that they are all adorned with divine approval as with the costliest gold and jewels. It says, “0 God, because I am certain that thou hast created me as a man and hast from my body begotten this child, I also know for a certainty that it meets with thy perfect pleasure. I confess to thee that I am not worthy to rock the little babe or wash its diapers. or to be entrusted with the care of the child and its mother. How is it that I, without any merit, have come to this distinction of being certain that I am serving thy creature and thy most precious will? 0 how gladly will I do so, though the duties should be even more insignificant and despised. Neither frost nor heat, neither drudgery nor labour, will distress or dissuade me, for I am certain that it is thus pleasing in thy sight.”

A wife too should regard her duties in the same light, as she suckles the child, rocks and bathes it, and cares for it in other ways; and as she busies herself with other duties and renders help and obedience to her husband. These are truly golden and noble works. . . .

Now you tell me, when a father goes ahead and washes diapers or performs some other mean task for his child, and someone ridicules him as an effeminate fool, though that father is acting in the spirit just described and in Christian faith, my dear fellow you tell me, which of the two is most keenly ridiculing the other? God, with all his angels and creatures, is smiling, not because that father is washing diapers, but because he is doing so in Christian faith. Those who sneer at him and see only the task but not the faith are ridiculing God with all his creatures, as the biggest fool on earth. Indeed, they are only ridiculing themselves; with all their cleverness they are nothing but devil’s fools.

- Martin Luther, “The Estate of Marriage”