The Washing of the Water

I saw it on Facebook~~~it was one of the most beautiful things I had seen in a long time.  A Baby Bath? Yep!  For those of you that know me, you know that I LOVE BABIES and everything about them!  God has blessed my love for babies by giving me a career that involves caring for them.  There is not a day that goes by that I don't thank God for His gift to me.  So when I saw this video, I was naturally taken by the sheer tenderness displayed as this nurse bathes a newborn baby for the first time.

I've probably given hundreds of newborn baby baths, but what is it about this video that moves my heart so? I watch it again and again and I see things that go beyond a routine baby bath.  There is a sacredness to this act of love.  I find that as I see the baby being soothed, I am soothed as well.

Fresh from the warmth of the womb, a child's first experiences of life in the world can be harsh.  After being thrust from the confines of safety into the bright and open world, so many stimulating sensations happen at once, many of which are unavoidable and just part of being born into the physical world.  But as we seek to find ways to make the transition easier, we have to look deeper into the true needs of the tender and fragile little life of a newborn. There are ways to nurture the peace that was created inside of that little being, so that new life begins with a feeling of protection and safety, rather than fear and discomfort.  This video is a picture of that nurturing and love. But I wonder~~~is there something even more profound here?

As I watch how the nurse handles the baby, I notice that her hands never completely separate from the baby's skin during the entire time. She makes sure that there is steady support as she cradles the infant in her hands and arms. Constant touch gives this infant security. Slow and relaxed movements keep the baby from startling and careful positioning keeps the baby in it's fetal position of comfort.  But it's the water~~~it's the washing of the water that brings me to tears.  And it's then that I realize the profoundness of this beautiful video.  The Washing of the Water is what makes New Birth sacred.

For me, this video symbolizes how we are taken from the confines of the physical world into the actual hands of God when we are reborn in the Spirit of Christ and receive Him as our personal Lord and Savior.  Complete and utter surrender to the capable and loving arms of God brings a deeper security than we've ever known.  As He seeks to nurture that peace within our soul~~~the peace that He created within us~~~the peace that passes human understanding~~~we begin new life in the safety of eternal salvation.  God's hands never leave us.  His touch is evident all around us as we experience His grace in so many ways.  Prayerful communion with Him brings assurance as He moves us to new positions in life, so we need not fear~~~He is always with us.  Living in the constant flow of His Living Water~~~~allowing it to wash over and into our entire being~~~brings rest and restoration to the soul.

It's the most beautiful thing~~~watching New Birth rest peacefully in the arms of God.