A Baby's Cry

​There is so much to be said about a baby’s cry.  It can mean so much!  To one person it is joy and to another person it could be like nails on a chalkboard.  Different cries mean different things too, depending on what the baby needs and how old the baby is.  A newborn cry is much sweeter than an 11 month old who still refuses to sleep through the night.

​To a couple who have been married and trying for years,  a baby’s cry is an answer to their prayers.  God waited until the perfect time to bless them and they had the opportunity to plan for the baby, decorate the nursery, and buy diapers, wipes, clothes, blankets, bottles, and everything else they could need.  We all know that one couple.  You prayed for them and when that moment finally happened, it was time to celebrate.  God has answered their prayers and has blessed them richly.

​Now, to a single mother who has been living on the streets or has come through a troubled past, a baby’s cry might mean something completely different.  That cry might mean stress, trouble, worry, and doubt.  That mother struggles every day just to survive with next to nothing and now she not only has to provide for herself but also for a hungry baby who requires extra care and items that she can’t afford to buy.  Same blessing; different perspective.

​Where does New Beginnings fit in to this?  Well, take that single, struggling mother and give her a safe place where she can lay down at night with her baby and know that those few possessions she has, won’t get robbed from her.  Give her love and support.  Guide her toward resources for food and education.  Give her diapers, wipes, towels and blankets for her baby.  Teach her about God’s love for her and her child.  All of a sudden that cry doesn’t mean the same thing.  It might mean hope and a future now.  It might mean that they can now pass that love onto their child.  With a warm place to live and baby’s needs taken care of, the focus of the mother goes from Survive to Thrive.

​What does a Baby’s Cry mean to you?  Leave a comment below and tell us about a baby’s cry and how you can help the mothers here at New Beginnings see the miracle in a baby’s cry.

Christina Pritzlaff is married with two children. She has completed Early Childhood 1 & 2 classes, Infant Toddler classes, and completed the coursework for her Associates degree in Child Development. Christina splits her time between spending time with her family and working at New Beginnings. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her children, camping, fishing, reading, and doing counted cross-stitch.

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