Babies

When my children were babies I must admit this is one of my favorite stages!
I love infants!

I love the way they smell!

I love how much they like to cuddle!

I love how utterly dependent and trusting they are!

My foster baby Gabe

I love those early weeks when they look into your eyes and they are like a sponge soaking up all your love up.

God has taught me so many things through my care for babies. Not just caring for my own children but also those I have baby sat and fostered.

I remember the first time I put my oldest daughter , Sophia in a car seat to drive about an hour across town to visit her Grand parents. She cried and cried! I cried! I could not explain to her why being fastened in a plastic car seat was safer than being cradled in my arms. All she wanted was to be comforted my her mother and that is what I wanted to do but I knew the safest place for her was where I had her.

I remember like it was yesterday that during all that crying and frustration an understanding of my relationship with God my father came to me. Are there times when I am crying and do not understand the places that God has placed me? Just as I knew the car seat was the best place for Sophia , God knows the best place for his daughter to be. I must trust that God has me where He needs me to be.

Looking back on my life , I can now see many times that He has placed me some where that at the time I did not understand and felt betrayed,

neglected,

forgotten

and alone

but later realized that it was for my best and the kingdoms best and I saw God's glory come from it!

But I still am like a child and love the times that I am held the most. I love cuddling up to my Lord and soaking in all the love.
I feel this as I care for babies.

Sophia and I on our porch in Uganda

I can remember some of my most precious times with God have been during the quiet and stillness of the night as I was feeding my babies. Those are sacred moments that I will never forget!

This week as I have started to take care of a friend"s baby as she returns to work so many of these memories have come to my mind.

Babies are such a blessing from God!