August 26, 2007

God demonstrates Himself to us in so many ways. We can see Him in a beautiful sunrise or sunset, in a rainbow after a storm, in the beauty of all creation. We can hear Him in the wind as it softly whispers through the trees or as the waves crash upon the shore. But one of my favorite places to see Him is in the face of a child...namely, my sweet granddaughter!

From the moment she was born, I have been totally awed by her. Watching her as she has discovered her world has been a joy to behold! Oh to see the world through the eyes of a child! Everything is new and exciting...and she doesn't miss a thing!! She stops to watch ants parade across the sidewalk with all the excitement of someone watching the Macy's Thanksgiving parade! Hearing our wind chimes just makes her giddy. And let her see the moon and she just is beside herself. We see and hear these things every day and don't even notice....that is until she points them out to us and makes us stop and look once again with the wonder that belongs to childhood. It is the neatest thing to see her little "wheels" turn in her mind as she tries to figure out a new toy or works to put together a puzzle. We have said a million times how we wish we knew what she was thinking.

Just recently she has made a remarkable discovery and the full impact of that did not really hit me til this morning. From the time she began sitting in a high chair, we have said the blessing with her. On days that I keep her, her mom has dinner with us because her husband is at work. Our routine has been her Papaw on one side of her and her mom on the other, each with a thumb propped up on her tray so that she could grab hold as we said the blessing, as we always hold hands around our table when we pray.

At first, she was puzzled by this strange set up. Sometimes she would take a hand, oftentimes not, because she was more interested in eating. But little by little from doing it at our house and at her home, she has gotten the hang of it. She is quiet for the most part and looks with keen interest from her mom to her Papaw, as she is trying to still figure this out. (Yes, I have peeked:) )

She loves to "read" books and to be read to. She has a little book that has pictures of food on each page...an apple on one, an orange on another, etc. The last page in the book has a picture of a little boy and a little girl sitting at a table with their eyes closed and their hands folded in prayer. All it says is "Thank you, God, for our food. Amen". I had been reading that book to her for a few days when one night after the blessing, she said "A-mennnnn!" We could not help but laugh at her enthusiasm. The next night she did it again when her Dad prayed at their house. She has continued this and sometimes with great gusto! She was with her parents and some friends at a Mexican restaurant not long ago and at the end of that meal, not only said it once, but a couple of more times and finally with her hands raised gave out a loud "A- MENNNN!!" for everyone within earshot to hear!!

For some reason I was thinking about her doing that this morning and it hit me. She saw a picture in a book and put it together by herself that when we were praying with her at the table, and she heard us thanking God for our food and family, that was the same scenario and therefore, she concluded that was the appropriate time to say AMEN!

Now I don't share that with you just to tell you a cute grandbaby story. What hit me about this was that I truly believe that the Holy Spirit is affirming what her parents and her grandparents are trying to teach and instill in her!! We have been praying for her since before she was born. She has been dedicated to the Lord and we are praying that she will come to Christ and give her heart to Him at a young age and that she will be wholeheartedly committed to Him for the rest of her life. I believe that God is honoring the commitment we, as her family, have made to "bring her up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord" and He is working through us and in her to accomplish that.

The realization of that makes me keenly aware of how such simple moments as reading a book to a 15 month old can be a teachable moment to impart His truth into her young life. I read a book once by Anne Ortlund called "Children Are Wet Cement". Yes, they are!!!!!!!! Oh that we would take seriously the imprint we make upon their lives each day.

I am awed and humbled by how the Lord is working in her young life to show Himself to her. My prayer is that she will learn to SEE Him and to hear His voice and to surrender ALL that she is to Him. Thank you, God, for allowing me to see such a miracle in the making!!!!!!!!!!