... Crawling in the Collector Lane

For those of you who know BabyK, you could agree that in the mobility department she seems to be taking the collector lanes. It felt like a lifetime had passed by the time she started to crawl; or in her case bum-scoot. Now I feel like I am re-watching the same act over again in regards to walking.

At BabyK's 12-month doctor's appointment we went through the "checklist" with flying colours. Eating? Yes. Talking? Absolutely. Walking? (enter sounds of crickets). My heart wouldn't have sunk so deep if it were not for the doctor's next words. "But she is pulling herself up on furniture, right?"- another hard "nope" from our end. "But she tries to walk along while you hold her hands, right?" - again, no. This kid has a mean L-sit though...

I know that many experienced mothers always say not to rush mobility and to enjoy the stationary period as long as you can. Of course once they start moving, you're going to miss your previous life. It's not that I don't want to take that advice, or that I don't agree with it. The truth is, I just can't help but having the sinking feeling there is something "wrong" with my baby when having conversations like the one I had with her doctor.

Thankfully, God must have known how heavy this had weighed on our hearts. Within the last week, both my husband and I have received encouragement and validation for BabyK's lack of interest in walking from unrelated and credible sources. Each of us had three different encounters that pointed to the benefits of a long crawling period for baby including heightened hand-eye coordination, spatial skills and fine motor skills.

Before this, I had only heard about the ways not having a walking toddler was nice for me. But let's face it: as a momma, there is something deep inside of me that could care less about my own enjoyment if it meant my little one was being harmed. No one likes to think of their child as broken or ruined.

Reflecting today I remembered something very profound and meaningful to me. There is something wrong with my baby. But that "something" that is wrong with my baby is that same thing that's wrong with me and every other person. We all are born into a broken and depraved world. We all have the tendency to be selfish and reject a good and loving God. We all miss the mark of perfection on a daily basis. The good news? There is a cure.

I believe with all my heart that when Jesus died 2000 years ago, He did so to pay the punishment for all wrongs; including the ones I commit and the ones that my precious BabyK will commit. By paying this punishment, I no longer have to stay separated from God. It is in this separation that we find pain, evil and sickness. It is in this redemption that we all find a level playing field and a fresh life. Jesus didn't choose just to save the strongest, the smartest or the most beautiful. He died for everyone, because in His eyes we all have an equal worth and value (whether we know how to walk yet or not).

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Isaiah 53:6

"We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all."