C'mon, Say It! by Leah Smith | posted 11/1/2001
Mother and Child in a Boat, 1892 Edmund Charles Tarbell, 1862–1938 Oil on canvas |
Hey there Creeksiders,
Henry said “Mama”
this week.
He’s said it before,
but this time it wasn’t just an experimental repetition of new syllables
or random sounds discovered in his baby babbling.
This time he really meant Mama – he meant me.
I found myself going to
ridiculous lengths to hear it again: coaching, pleading, leading him along
with, “Hey Henry, who am I? Am I your Mom-mom-mom-y?”
Then Dave would join the effort, “Hey Henry, who’s that?
Is that Mom-mom? Is
that Mom-my?” We cajoled
and encouraged until he would break forth with the magic sound once again,
“Mum-mum-mum”. My heart
melted, tears came to my eyes, and I wanted to do anything, anything
to hear it again, to keep hearing it.
At 15 months, Henry is
a bit behind in language – we figure he’s been so busy learning how to
run, climb, and program the VCR that he’d get to the whole ‘words’
thing when he was ready. But
we’ve been waiting for these words for a long time.
We’d coach every once in a while, “Hey Henry, can you say ‘Da
da da?’ ‘Ma ma ma?’” He’d
just look at us and push his wagon up against the couch so he could climb
over the back of it. Then
he’d run to the other end of the house, wanting us to give him a boost
up so he could jump on our bed.
Aren’t I just the
same way with God? I get so
busy doing things on my own, ‘making things happen’, learning things,
doing stuff - that I don’t always take the time to slow down and really
talk to God. “Yeah, God –
I want to spend time with you, but just let me graduate from college
first…God, um, yeah, I’ll get right back with you soon, but right now
I’m busy with my student teaching…Oh Hi God, yeah, as soon as Open
House is over, or I’m finished grading all these research papers…Hey
God, yeah I’ll be there as soon as things die down a bit here – you
must know how busy I am with the new baby and all…”
The whole time God is
watching me, helping me, giving me that boost up, teaching me little
lessons, but he is really waiting for me to say his Name…to say
“Daddy”.
Is God as excited about
me talking to him as I am about hearing Henry’s magical
“Mum-mum-mum”? You bet.
I can just see him there, waiting patiently, cajoling every once in
a while, getting the Holy Spirit in on the action…all of them waiting
for me to say, “Daddy…Jesus…Lord”.
Then God’s heart melts and he wants me to say it again and again
and again.
What about you?
Have you talked to God lately – really taken time to call his
Name? He wants to talk to
you. He loves you so much.
Blessings,
Leah
You can tell for sure that you are now fully adopted as his own children because God sent the Spirit of his Son into our lives crying out, “Papa! Father!” Doesn’t that privilege of intimate conversation with God make it plain that you are not a slave, but a child? And if you are a child, you’re also an heir, with complete access to the inheritance. Galatians 4:5-7 in the Message
To respond to this message, please send your email to: lsmith@ecreekside.com
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