Our Father's Hand

Watching Boo this past two weeks has given me a wonderful reflection on how I think Our Father must look down upon us.

For the past 18 months, I have been doing all that I can to nurture, protect, and provide for my newest son, as I have done with all of my other children.

Last week, he finally learned to crawl. As any parent quickly learns, a crawling baby takes a once orderly, peaceful environment and turns it upsidedown, overnight!

Statements like..."Quick, move the dog food!" "What's in his mouth now?!?" "Where did this come from? I just vacuumed?!?!" "How come he can't pick up a Cheerio, but he can pick up microscopic pieces of lint from the same color carpet!?!" fill the day and night.



From crawling, Boo immediately learned to pull up on the furniture and start cruising around the house all the while holding on for dear life to anything which he can grab hold of. Sometimes, even with me standing directly over him, he falls over. I have never seen a child get as mad as he does when this happens.

I imagine Our Lord looking down upon us as I watch over my son. He watches us as we stumble around life. As we fall, as we try to pull ourselves up again. He rejoices when we take our first steps independently. Actually He rejoices each and every time we take those steps. His love for us is deeper than any human love could possibly be. I wonder if He cries with us when we cry. Or if He hurts with us when we fall. Then I am reminded that He does.

I watch my littlest son as he tries to crawl, pull up, and walk. I have to watch him fall time and time again. I try to keep him as safe as possible, but we all know that if a baby doesn't learn to fall, he'll never learn to walk. It pains me to watch him struggle with things, but I need to let him do it on his own, else he might never learn.

Our Father watches our struggles, as well as our triumphs. He is always present encouraging us to try again. Try again. Try again. Just the way that I will stand over my little boy today encouraging him to try again...