Papa’s Presence

I tend to complicate matters. I think it’s an ‘adult’ issue. It’s not that we adults lose sight of what really matters, but we sometimes are in need of a tune-up. It wasn’t until I heard my barely-two-year-old grandson’s response to a question I asked, that I knew I needed one, and as promised, God, in His solely unique way, faithfully supplied.

This holy moment happened while picnicking with our grandson and his mama and papa at their home. As I frequently do, I recorded some video with my phone, catching different parts of the day, which included my grandson riding his little STRIDER bike with his papa around the yard. The path, down a small hill, across the driveway, around a car, then a tree, across the driveway and up the hill, was repeated time and time again. On the video, as they took their bikes a third or fourth time around the yard, I asked my grandson, “Are you following Papa, or are you leading?”. A few seconds passed and out cascaded, amidst a flow of gleeful giggles, his reply,  “We like to ride our bikes!” 

So simple, right? In his heart, there was no need for leading, or following.  There was no urgency of being first or shame of being last; there was no need for comparison or competition. To be filled with joy was as simple as being with his papa.  

Hearing his reply made me ask myself some questions – questions about what I value. The weights of constraints and labels, which as an adult I learned to deem important, were nowhere to be witnessed in this holy moment, and there was no doubt in my mind how my grandson felt as he and his papa rode their bikes together. Nothing could hide the pure un’adult’erated joy he exuded, punctuated by his giggles and excitement, so enthralled with being with his papa. Nothing else really mattered. 

It got me thinking that maybe I could do life with Jesus the same way. Seems an impossible task for this Grammie to unlearn things at my age, but I thank God for these holy moments that He uses to open the eyes of my heart to the work He is completing in me.  And as I benefitted from the simple, yet profound answer from this two-year-old, maybe these days some folks might benefit from his view of the world, too. Just as a two-year-old could be so enthralled in his papa’s presence, as if nothing else really mattered, maybe this white-haired Child of God can be likewise – as if nothing else really matters…maybe nothing else really does…