“Angel in the Waters” by Regina Doman, illustrated by Ben Hatke.
Sophia Institue Press, Manchester, N.H, 2004, 46 pages, all ages.
Science and religion are God’s creation. In both of these we learn about His beauty, goodness and nature.
The physical world gives us countless examples of God’s creation and beauty. Science is man’s attempt to understand our physical world. When science and religion seem to be opposed, the usual reason is that science has not caught up with religion. Mankind learns an idea and thinks it disposes of religious ideas.
It is quite ignorant for mankind to imagine it knows more than God. It is also sinful, prideful and dangerous. For example, for the last 40 years in the United States there has been heated debate about when life begins. Science is starting to catch up with religion again through some magnificent photographs taken in utero. The most touching may have been the infant clinging onto the hand of the physician while still inside the womb. Regina Doman tells us a moving story on this subject in a attractive and touching picture book entitled “Angel in the Waters.”
At the beginning, the tiny baby floats and swims about in his mother’s womb. He is not frightened because his guardian angel is constantly nearby. His angel tells him many important things about being alive and the importance of growing and swimming in the womb.
He hears a constant sound thumping nearby but is unaware of where the sound is coming from. Upon asking his angel, he is told: “Mother.”
The baby soon cannot imagine why the space inside Mother is getting so cramped. He can no longer swim easily and his angel tells him that soon he will leave the waters and go into the big world. This is confusing to the baby because all that he knows is his small, warm world inside Mother. His angel tells him to eat and sleep and get ready to leave the waters. So he rests and continues to grow larger and larger.
Meanwhile, Mother is growing as well. She and his father watch with wonder as time passes. Soon Mother is so big that she is having a hard time walking. Now the angel tells the baby that the time is nearly here for his journey outside of Mother to begin.
The angel assures the little one that he will never be left alone, but that the angel will always be with him until it is time to go into the final spiritual world. The angel tells the baby he will take him there as well. Comforted, the baby is ready to leave Mother. The waters begin to move.
What happens to the baby? Who is “Mother”? Why does she give him so much comfort in this cold, new world? Where does his angel go?
Have you ever held a newborn infant? Did the infant comfort you more than you comforted the baby? What does birth tell about God’s love for the earth? To find out the answers to these questions please obtain a copy of “Angel in the Waters” by Regina Doman.
You may not find this book in public libraries, so I encourage you to buy your own copy. It is a beautifully-drawn book about the gift of life. I hope you get a chance to own this book and share it with members of your own family. Regina Doman tells of God’s great gift of life and love in this lovely book. I hope you get a chance to read it. I loved it.
