One of the soft markers of Down Syndrome is low tone. Babies with the diagnosis often appear floppy. One of the ways to evaluate and improve tone is through tummy time.
When Audrey was just six weeks old, Early Intervention knocked on the door. We spread a blanket on the table and my new friends put her to the tummy time test to see what she’d do. To everyone’s surprise, she lifted her head. High. Really high. That’s not an easy task for any baby, let alone a baby with trisomy 21.
I immediately thought of a Psalm. In Psalm 3, David writes: “But you, LORD, are a shield around me, my glory, the One who lifts my head high.” David wrote this Psalm when he was at risk of losing his kingdom and his kingship…to his son, Absalom. Absalom was gaining tremendous support throughout the kingdom and David was on the run. His head was held low—in distress, disgrace, despair and defeat.
My kids are not threatening my kingdom, but I do know what it’s like to have my head hung low--buried in tear-drenched hands. Not wanting to look up; unable to look up; stuck low with a head so heavy in distress I simply lacked the strength to lift it. Have you ever been there?
At some point, when David’s head was low, he was reminded that the LORD was his protector and the LORD lifted his head from distress, disgrace, despair and defeat. A head held high is a sign of victory. God is the lifter of our heads.
The diagnosis of Down Syndrome is distressing. But I look at this tiny little baby with her head held high and I’m reminded that God protects us and lifts our heads high—out of distress, disgrace, despair and defeat. God is the lifter of Audrey's head.
If Audrey Grace can allow God to lift her head high, I can too. Then I can see that although she has Down Syndrome, Down Syndrome doesn’t have her. God has her. He lifts her head high. Really high. And when her head is held high, I can peer into those beautiful blue eyes and thank God for my precious baby girl.