I do not have an expert level understanding of what it means
when doctors say “Bonding Time” when they refer to a time a newborn spends with
his/her mama. However, since the arrival of my niece, I have heard this term being
thrown around a lot and it got me curious.
It turns out that the “Skin to Skin” and mama baby time are
important parts of a newborn learning his/her new environment. It is when the
baby lays down on the mom’s chest that they calm down. This is because of the
mama’s heartbeat, a rhythm the baby has known and felt from the inside. In
bringing the newborn close to the mama’s chest, it brings the baby comfort,
peace, protection, and a sense of familiarity. In addition, it allows for the
newborn baby to learn mama’s scent. The
tone of voice and the scent become two of the ways that a baby recognizes
his/her mom until they get past seeing shapes.
Seeing this up-close and understanding the why behind some
of the things that are done for a newborn got me thinking about John. John
had one of those up close and personal relationships with Jesus. It even says
that John leaned into Jesus’ chest and considered himself to be the one that
Christ loved (Refer to John 13:23). Even though John was neither a newborn nor
Jesus’ baby, the principles of bonding apply. Could
it be that in times that John leaned in, he learned Jesus’ heartbeat? Could it
be that John was able to differentiate subtle differences in Jesus’ tone of
voice?
I think as disciples of Jesus, we can be like John or the
others. Both types of disciples are devoted to Jesus and following His ways.
That said, the ones like John are those that passionately pursue the Lord. Like
John, we can be disciples that seek to lean in! We can learn to be pursuers of
Jesus’ heart and not just His mission. We can also learn to trust Him enough to
just collapse into His chest, to listen closely.
I believe being a friend and disciple of Jesus can look
very different depending on how close we are to His heart. I challenge, both
you and I, to draw closer to Him. Because He promises to draw closer to us in response.
“Come near to God ad He will come near to you.’’ James 4:8a
Stay Blessed<3
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