That is what I call it when I see young ladies hold out their arms, twitch their hands and make little squeaky sounds mixed with words that all run together: “eeeooowwwwcanIhooldthebabeeeeeeeoowsheeeeeeessocuuuuute.”

The girls in my local church have this “itching arms syndrome.” So do my daughters. The boys have it too. It just manifests itself differently with boys. Instead of squeaks and twitching hands, the boys just get real quiet, protective, and dopey-eyed. It is really wonderful.

It is a blessing when children long to hold babies. It means that Christian culture is being encouraged in the household. It means that God is blessing the passion of the parents for children by instilling in the hearts of our young’ns the tremendous value of life. This is one of the many practical outworkings of Titus 2 which reminds us: “The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers...That they may teach the young women...to love their children.” It is the natural consequence of fathers telling their children over and over again that men value children as the “rewards” of God. (Psalm 127)

Praise the Lord for the itching arms syndrome.