My son currently is in a phase of usually saying 2 word sentences. For example Green straw, is said like “Green draw” because he can’t pronounce ‘s’ yet. My wife and I have been so proud of any increase in the number of words like “I need more cars”
Last night I had just finished showering my son. As we went to leave the bathroom he looked at the door which has a small mark / stain on it perhaps from a gecko and clearly said “Good bye stain, see you tomorrow” I was surprised, proud and laughing inside all at once.
This morning I was relaying the story to my wife as she was dropping me off at the train station on my way to work. As we arrived and I said goodbye to my son the only response I got was “train coming”…”train coming” even though there were no trains in sight.
I commented jokingly to my wife as I said goodbye, the stain gets “goodbye stain see you tomorrow” and I get “train coming”. As I walked towards the station I realised I did feel a little bit of sadness. And in that moment I heard father say to me “I thought you would call me Father”.
In that same moment Father also revealed so much more to my heart, so much more than just the words of scripture. I saw Father’s heart longing for his children to be intimate with him. I didn’t feel that he was belittling my experience in saying that he experienced it more. Instead I saw that I am made in His image and I have the same desire to hear these words from my child. And that he has placed this echo in me that reveals his heart and bares witness of his love for me. And just like my pride and love for my son does not lessen in the midst of a desire to hear him say “bye daddy”, so too my Heavenly Father’s Love does not shrink one bit when something in my heart does not align with His… Yet.
Hearts on a Journey 