Monkey See, Monkey Do

I affectionately call Eden "The Guinea Pig" and Caroline "The Copycat."  As my firstborn, Eden was a bundle of novelty and wonder, which left me with a constant stream of questions and doubts about my effectiveness as a new mommy.  The beginnings of her delicate life were filled with trial-and-error attempts at doing whatever I could to help her grow into the best child possible without losing my mind in the process. 

Caroline was and continues to be an entirely different story.

Things are a little less stressful the second time around.  Therefore, Caroline's first two years have been somewhat divergent from those of her sister.  I remember most of the important lessons that I learned from Eden's infant-to-toddler progression, and this has provided much comfort that I'm not too far off base in mothering little Caroline.  However, Eden did not have a big sister to follow around as she embarked on those first two years of life.  Caroline, on the other hand, has the benefit of shadowing someone older and seemingly wiser than herself.

It is entertaining to watch Caroline as she interacts with her doting sibling.  One of the most adorable (and sometimes the most alarming) things that I have observed in my second-born is her desire to mimic everything Eden does.  During this current phase of her life, Caroline wants nothing more than to be exactly like Eden.  She watches Eden intently to see how she plays with her baby dolls, how she eats her chicken nuggets, how she flips the pages as she "reads" her books, and how she flings herself off the side of the stage in the sanctuary as soon as church services are over.  (I know. Scary.)  

As I witness this persistent yearning in my child to be just like her sister, Ephesians 5:1 comes to mind.  It says, "Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children."  All of us, at some point, have longed to be like someone else, whether it was a sibling, a friend, or maybe a mentor.  But no matter how wonderful earthly examples can be, there is none that compares to the model provided in Christ Himself.  As a child of the Most High God, I am called to pattern my life after the One who gave His life for me.  Although I cannot achieve earthly perfection as He most certainly did, I must strive to live as Jesus lived and study His ways daily so that I can be molded into His likeness.  Lord, please transform me by the renewing of my mind as I offer my body as a living sacrifice for You alone.