What are those years for?

My friend came over today with her 5 week old baby.  It was fun to hold him for almost 2 hours while he slept!  My arm fell asleep, then my other arm fell asleep, then my leg fell asleep, and so on.

While he slept, I discussed with my friend the purpose of the baby stage.

I posed the thought, "At times in my life I wonder if I've invested as I should, or done what I was called to do, or made the most of the time... And yet, God allows every single person to spend the first 3-4 years of their life simply being."

That's 3-4 YEARS or more(!) that we won't ever remember and essentially won't count towards anything measurable by the world's standards.


I found it fascinating to think that God decided to allow us to be born as babies.

Why not be born as adults?  Why not allow us to be born around the age of 25 with the command, "Okay, do my work - ready go!"

Instead, we are babies first.

Not even able to learn anything.

We spend those first few years simply being alive, that's it.

Goodness, what are those years even for?

My friend listened quietly.

Then she smiled and said, "I think those years aren't really for the baby at all.  Those years are for the parents -- building their character and growing them up.  Yeah, that's probably it."

#enoughsaid