I have enjoyed the last week with both of my girls back under my roof.  I got to do all the “mom” things again.  Don’t get me wrong – I LOVE this time in my life and have learned to embrace my empty nest, but every now and then, it’s wonderful to brush up on “mommying”.  It sort of makes you sentimental, too, harkening back to sweeter, simpler times.  Maybe that’s one of the reasons that when I read Amanda’s recent blog post (a letter to her son), I was so profoundly moved by it – especially one part in particular. Her son is two, and upon awakening in the morning, she heard the usual stirring noises you’d expect to hear over the baby monitor…rustling of sheets, sighs.  But then, in barely a whisper, he said “DaDa”.  His first word of the day.  His daddy’s name.  Oh my goodness, is that not the sweetest thing?

What was your first word this morning?  Did your Father’s name drip sweetly off your tongue like so much honey?  Or maybe He was your first thought, filling you so fully that His name burst forth out of your mouth, uncontainable.  No?  That’s okay.  Me either.  Maybe like me, your thoughts were on your afternoon before your morning even started.  Maybe your first words were “schedule” or “coffee” or “email”, “Mama’s coming!” or “oh, my achin’ back!” or “how in the world are we going to pay the mortgage?”  

There is a reason scripture says that “the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these [little children]” Matthew 19:14 NIV.  Kids are without worry, capable of complete trust and wholehearted devotion.  They are perfecters of simple faith.  We’ve got to slow ourselves down and empty our minds of all the minutia so we can allow God to start filling it with Himself. Maybe then, like that sweet little boy, the first thoughts in our minds each day will be such that they usher the precious name of our Father to our lips.  …DaDa…Abba…Father.