The High Chair

It was time for my husband to bring it down from an upstairs closet.
It was purchased along with the other baby items when our first grandbaby was expected.
I wanted to have everything set up here to make it easy for my daughter and her husband.
I knew that whatever we bought would be used for all of our grandchildren, as God allows.

A crib, dressing table, swing, baby seat, and bathtub are all here for their use.
A stroller, car seats (both infant and toddler) are here as well.
Baskets with toys that my children played with, are in the back corner of our family room.
The one item that remained upstairs was the high chair.

My precious granddaughter is almost six months old.
She loves to hear the sound of her own voice as she tries to talk to us.
She loves to roll across the floor to get a toy that is just out of reach.
Very soon, she will be crawling and on the move.

Solid food was begun weeks ago.
She loves to eat her cereal along with the fruit and vegetables my daughter prepares for her.
She opens her mouth wide like a little bird as the spoon approaches.
Just recently, she has been sitting in her high chair while her mommy and daddy eat dinner.

It was time to bring the high chair down and put it in our kitchen.
I bought a new one, since our high chair has been long gone.
Our high chair went though five children; it served us well.
It was time to get a new high chair for the next generation.

My daughter came over on the weekend.
We were having a girl’s night with one of my other daughters as well.
Before we ate dinner, my sweet granddaughter needed to be fed.
My oldest daughter wanted to feed her.

Cereal was made.
Butternut squash was warmed.
A spoon and a small dish with a Precious Moments scene were removed from the cabinet.
A plastic bib was put around her neck.

I watched my oldest daughter feed her little niece.
I watched her mouth open wide, timing it perfectly with the approaching spoon.
I watched her smile as if to say that she was really enjoying her food.
I watched her touch my daughter’s hand with her hand.

Look at her, my daughter said, this is so cute.
Every time the spoon approached, she touched the hand that was feeding her.
It was as if she was mimicking the action of the spoon coming to her mouth.
When the spoon was near she touched her hand; she put her hand down when it was removed.

I thought of how children learn anything.
Repetition.
Observation.
Practice.

She will be feeding herself in no time.
She already holds her bottle, or tries to until it gets too heavy.
She watches us as we speak, as we eat, and as we interact with each other.
She doesn’t miss a trick, her mother says.

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
(2 Timothy 3:16,17)

Repetition.
Observation.
Practice.

These are skills that we adults must incorporate into our daily life.
A we study God’s Word, we can repeat a verse or passage until we have it in our hearts.
We can observe the activities of God all around us.
We can practice living out our faith by applying God’s Truth in our daily life.

I am the LORD your God, who brought you up out of Egypt. Open wide your mouth and I will fill it. (Psalm 81:10)

We are fed and nourished by the Word of God.
Can you picture yourself in your spiritual high chair, being fed by the One who is the Word?
Can you imagine Jesus feeding you His Word each day?
Can you see yourself opening your mouth wide so that He can feed you His Truth?

We are really no different from the young child in a high chair.
We need nourishment.
My daughter makes her own baby food because she cares about its purity.
She does not want her daughter to have any additives.

We need solid food as well.
Our solid food is the Word of God.
We do not need any additives, rather only the pure Truth that God has placed in His Word.
It matters what we ingest, because out of the overflow of our heart, our mouth speaks.
(Matthew 12:34)

The high chair sits in my kitchen for when my precious granddaughter comes over.
It is ready for our next grandbaby, due to arrive in the spring.
It is a reminder of the nourishment I need from God’s Word each day.
It reminds me that the Lord Jesus is feeding me.

I touch His Hand and open my mouth so He will fill it.