(2002)
God had been wooing me for awhile now. I had been missing my intimacy with Him. Although we did family devotions daily, read the Word, sang praise songs and prayed, I still missed Him.
My son Adrian-Jeremiah (AJ) is such a blessing to me. He loves to sing, and since we've started sending him to Sunday School, his retention of songs have amazed me. I had gotten most of the kids down earlier that evening. Jeremiah (4) and Chenoa (2), my two babies who had napped earlier in the day, decided to keep me up a little later. Lights dimmed, we were on my bed, Chennie laid on my tummy and Jeremiah at my side. We looked eye to eye. He began to sing the well known hymn as a lullaby.
How those words from the mouth of this child-songster
pierced my heart.
"Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so,
Little ones to Him belong, they are weak but He is strong.
Yes, Jesus loves me. Yes, Jesus loves me. Yes, Jesus loves me
The Bible tells me so."
I'm smiling at the pure deliciousness of this moment, my little son serenading me. How I tried to freeze time, to etch this moment in my mind, remembering the hush of his voice, Chenoa's sleeping warm body breathing against mine, the deep look in his eyes as he is singing, the stillness of the house. My face wet with tears -- bittersweetness. Now, another song.
"Jesus, Jesus, Holy and Anointed One, Jesus
Your name is like honey on my lips
Your Spirit like water to my soul
Your Word is a lamp onto my feet
Jesus, I love You, I love you..."
I am weeping now, uncontrollably but quietly, my chest rising and falling with deep sobs and stuttering breaths, surprisingly, not waking the sleeping child on top of me. Jeremiah is singing slower as sleep overtakes.
"Jesus, Jesus...
His eyes were closed now. He couldn't notice my heart pounding out of my chest. He couldn't see my teary gaze as I watched him drift into dreamland. He didn't sense my craving for more worship from his sweet lips. Finally,
"...Holy and...Anointed....One."
Those were my child's last spoken words of the day. I hear only his breathing now, slow and steady. How those words from the mouth of this child-songster pierced my heart. I was so moved by Jeremiah's praise, yet, he was unaware of the depth of his ministry to me in that moment.
The Bible tells us to grow up in the faith...yet it also says to be as little children. I had grown up in the faith alright, but allowed myself to lose my child-like wonder so that I had become too much of an ADULT. I missed my God and I felt my God missed the child in me. This pure, simple praise from this little boy showed me what I had been missing; child-like abandon into the hands of my loving Daddy God.
This night was the beginning of my journey back to God's lap.
Thank you, Son.
How's your journey? Have you lost your way? God knows exactly where you are and He stands at the ready, eyes searching the horizon for the silhouette of His prodigal. He is gracious and kind. His love never fails. While we hide behind the busyness of our routines, He still bids us, "Come!" I encourage you, my friend, to yield. Yield to the call, the prayer, or the lullaby, from whosever lips they come.
"Out of the mouths of babes and nursing infants You have ordained strength, because of Your enemies, that You may silence the enemy and the avenger." - Psalm 8:2
(My son is now 24, and still encourages me in my walk with the Lord. 2023)
Heartfelt T, I can almost hear his sweet loving voice! Where has the time gone!!???♥️