The Baby In Front Of Me

I sat in the pew waiting for the service to begin.
I saw a man put something down on the pew on front of me.
I assumed he would return to it in a bit.
I moved over in my pew so that others could sit on the end.

A family came in and saw the large space in the pew in front of me.
As they were ready to sit down, they noticed what had been left by the man.
The woman looked back at me and mouthed, Are these seats taken?
There was only one person, I mouthed back, putting up my index finger.

They took their seats: mother, little girl, father and a car seat with a little baby.
Minutes after they sat down, the man came back and retrieved his things.
He sat in the pew next to me and had two children with him.
Minutes after that, his wife arrived, which made me glad that I had moved over.

Our pastor greeted us and we all stood to sing.
Congregational singing is so wonderful.
To praise God as we sing truth, is one of the highlights of my Sunday morning.
The mother in front of me had her baby in her arms.

I noticed the little girl had two bottom teeth.
I guessed that she was probably the age of my grandson.
She looked over her mother’s shoulder back at me.
I smiled and tried to focus on the screen in front for the words of the song we were singing.

I was singing, but I was watching this precious little girl.
I was worshiping God, while thanking Him for this little life.
I watched the woman do the mommy rock, while her little girl was on her hip.
I noticed the mommy rock was in beat with the song we were singing.

The little girl was watching me intently.
I was singing and smiling.
I raised my eyebrows and widened my eyes at her.
She smiled and cooed and buried her head in her mother’s shoulder.

The little girl would look up again and move her mouth as if she was trying to sing.
She looked up at her mother, watching her mouth, as she put her little hand on her cheek.
She was mimicking her mother, trying to form the words and sounds she was hearing.
I was amazed that this is how babies learn to talk: they must be talked to, and sung to, often.

More than learning how to talk, this little girl was learning how to worship.
She has no understanding about God and all He has made, yet.
But she will, with diligence and intentionality on the part of her parents.
She will learn and make the faith her own through the power of the Holy Spirit.

I smiled as she rounded her mouth as if to say, Oh.
She babbled rhythmically as if she was singing along.
She kept putting her little hand on her mother’s cheek.
I watched as she looked at me and then beyond me to others who were singing.

Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it. (Proverbs 22:6)

These parents are training their little girl, whether they know it or not.
The whole church family is helping as well, since the children are watching.
That is what is so important about fellowship.
A church family comes alongside, nurtures, supports, and encourages each other.

I told the mother how much I enjoyed her little girl after the service was over.
She smiled, totally unaware of how much her little girl had blessed me.
The mother needed to know.
It will help her and her husband press on.

We all need help pressing on.
We all need encouragement as we journey through life.
We all need other we can watch and emulate those who will point us towards Jesus.
What a wonderful Sunday morning.