Modeling matters

We sat down in church this week and I was immediately fascinated with the baby two rows in front of us.
This beautiful little girl could not have been more than a week old.   Curling and uncurling her tiny fist. Eyes widen and then shut .  Head tilts to the right then the left.

All in the loving arms of her father.

He is totally at ease…cloth diaper thrown over his shoulder to burp her, rocking to sooth her.

And I notice four people who appeared to be the baby’s family…her Dad, uncle, grandfather and grandmother.

Ah ha…there is another child.  Another girl who appeared to be 18 months old.  Her grandfather holds her, speaks quietly in her ear and she smiles and hugs him.  She settles onto his lap for a snappy nap.

Now our minister can get going on his sermons and the service is a good hour and a half.

I couldn’t keep my eyes off these girls and more importantly how their father and grandfather loved with such ease.  No scolding, no scowls, no fuss, no muss.

And I wondered…where is their mother?  Is she still in the hospital?  At home catching a much needed few hours of sleep?

Yet the children were not restless.  They felt secure and loved.

I said a quiet prayer of thanks for these wonderful men who provided all of us a glimpse of men's deep abiding love for his daughters and granddaughters.

Nurturing  in action.

We read horrific stories each day about abuse and neglect and begin to wonder what will become of our children?  And yet just look around you each day and you’ll see the love and support our men give to our children each day. 

May all the girls in your life have the gift of unconditional love from a man in their life whether father,  uncle or grandfather.  Or a Big Brother.

A gift that will last a life time.