Baby Monitors & God

Baby Monitors and God

Recently, I took a meal over to a new mom who is a part of a young women’s group that I am privileged to disciple.  She and her husband have a precious new baby boy who was born with hydrocephalus, treated very early, and is doing well, now.  In the hospital, he also had an issue with acid reflux that resulted in his heart rate dropping dramatically.  Through much prayer and the diligence of doctors and loving family, he, again, is making amazing improvements.

While we were putting the meal on her cabinet, I noticed a wonderful piece of new technology:  A tiny monitor that allows the caregiver to not only hear the baby, but also to see the baby in his room!  Wow!  When we raised our boys, the only monitor was you!  You tiptoed to the door, made sure it was oiled well with WD-40, painstakingly opened the door, and peered in to make sure everything was good.  With current technology, we were able to visit in the kitchen, while both watching the baby’s every move and listening to his every sound.

I thought to myself, “Man, I’ve got to get me one of these things.”  In retrospect, I suppose it would be a waste, since my youngest grandbaby is two, and she now articulates, “Grammy.  Open the door.  I want out.”  She recently left her crib for a regular bed, after repeatedly climbing out, patting the guest bed, and declaring big girl bed.  I guess I will never need to use the latest, greatest baby monitoring techniques.

Later, as I told my husband about what I had seen, he joked that if I had been able to watch the boys sleep, we would never have needed a television.  He’s right about that; I loved watching our boys sleep, even when they were eighteen and ready to move out of the house.  Now that I think about it, those visual monitors might have been even more helpful for me to keep an eye on them as teens, rather than as babies.  I know, though, that for my sweet friend and her husband, it is a lifesaver, as they are able to constantly keep a watchful eye on their son, just in case he should ever need them.

I could not help but reflect on how wonderful our Heavenly Father is as He monitors our every move from heaven above, just in case we recognize our constant need for Him.  In II Chronicles 16:9, God’s Word says:  For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth to show Himself strong in behalf of those whose heart cries out to Him. 

It reminded me of once when I was going to have a rather extensive surgery.  Since I have a “tiny, little” control problem, I was determined not to go to sleep from the anesthesia until I saw the doctor, the right doctor, and knew he recognized me and remembered exactly what surgery he was doing for me.  (My son, the doctor, loves patients just like me!)  The anesthesiologist had other ideas, and though I fought valiantly not to go under the anesthetic, I finally, realized the futility of holding on, hearing the sweet voice of my Father saying, “Gerry, you can go to sleep because I won’t.”

God has been using visual child monitors since creation, watching and waiting for the moment one of His children begins to cry out in need, in pain, or in helplessness.  Even more quickly than the most loving parents run to their baby, our Heavenly Father responds to our cry, showing His strength, His care, and His love to His children.  I am grateful that He didn’t have to wait on the latest, greatest technology to see my need.

© 2011 Gerry Sisk

(07/20/11)