Created Helpless

God blessed me the other morning with the scene of a colt scampering about a meadow. I had driven by earlier so I knew he was brand new.

How amazing that within hours a little colt has the ability to stand, wobble and set off at a run. How different for humans.

When handed my firstborn in the hospital I was awestruck. The excitement of relatives visiting to see her was fun but when my mom left and I was alone a bit of panic set in. My daughter was so helpless and the realization that I had to care for her every need was overwhelming. I wondered why on earth God made babies so dependent.

I grew frustrated when my husband would ask each evening, "What did you do today?"

What did I do? I sat and fed my daughter mostly. In those early weeks it seemed to be a never ending task -- around the clock. I felt stuck to the couch. I didn't feel that I was accomplishing anything. I just sat and held her and she ate and stared into my face.

There had to be a reason for God's design of newborn helplessness in humans.

Then I stumbled on a bit of science trivia. Did you know that infants have a pretty limited ability to focus? They can see about 15 -18 inches. That is the distance from your elbow to your face. As I experienced the unblinking stare of my daughter as she ate I began to realize that I was accomplishing something - by design.

So let the laundry sit and dishes stack for awhile. There are some tasks that cannot be rushed. My baby needed to be held and stare into my face.