Big sister looked after him. Read Exodus 2:3-4. He sprinted away from his mother through the church lobby as quickly as any two-year old might. Big sister was right on it, chasing him down before he got more than 20 feet away. With the child in big sister’s care, the mom continued her conversation with another adult, adjusting her position to keep watch over both her children. I’ve seen similar scenes play out again and again. Last week it was the aunt who chased down her younger sister’s two-year-old boy as the mom focused on the baby that needed attention. Miriam was the older sister of Moses. She had watched her mom’s pregnancy and no doubt was allowed to hold the baby after his birth. Because the Pharaoh of Egypt sentenced all the baby boys to be thrown in the Nile River, her baby brother was threatened. She watched her mom make a basket boat. When the baby was three months old, her mom placed him in the basket and sent him down the Nile. We don’t know if Miriam was told to watch over her baby brother or if it was her own initiative. We do know she followed the basket boat down the Nile to see what would happen. Would the baby be found and immediately be thrown into the river as Pharaoh commanded? Would someone discover the baby and have pity on him? Would a crocodile find him first and have a snack? Would the baby flow out the mouth of the river into the Mediterranean Sea? At the moment the baby was placed in the water, the outcome was uncertain, but the uncertainty was a better option than the fate of certain death in the hands of Pharaoh. Keeping our children safe is a priority as they grow. Every time a mother says good-bye to a child, whether going to school or to a friend’s house, there is always a risk of something happening. We want them to reach adulthood, become independent, and live prosperous and happy lives.
Prayer: Lord of Creation, we thank you for each child you have placed in our care. Please keep our children safe from harm and disease. Help them to grow strong in body, mind, and spirit. Amen.
