Learning to stand.

Yesterday at church I was holding my friend's baby. He's four or five months old and is still just tiny. He kept wanting to stand up and I held him steady while he practiced shifting his weight.

It occured to me that human beings cannot develop on their own. A baby needs someone to hold him up while he learns to stand. Not only does he need the physical support, but he needs the trusted hands of someone who will support him in the emotional areas of his life.

We don't really change even though we grow up and become physically independent on many levels from other people; we continue to need the emotional support of other people. Thinking of it from the other direction, we all have tremendous power in the lives of everyone around us. We can fill the basic human needs for love, support, and firm dependable relationships in other's lives- or we can think only of ourselves. . .

It's easy to become self-absorbed, especially when I don't feel well. One of my goals for this year is to make a conscious effort to think of other people. I can always do more to be a better friend and to build my family relationships. The support I can offer may be just what someone needs to learn to stand on their own feet in some area of their life.