A while back as I drove up to my daughter’s house to baby-sit little Christian, almost 2 and Caleb, 3, They heard my car and were waiting at the open door. Although it was very cold and wet, they both wanted to run to meet me. As their mom held them back from the rain, Christian began to jump up and down and shout “Memaw! Memaw!’ Such a welcome! He could not wait until he jumped into my open arms and gave me a big hug and a very wet kiss!
I remember other times when my daughter, Alyce, would come for a visit and Cadi, age 4 at the time, was buckled in the back of their suburban. As I ran out the door to meet them I could already see her hands in the air, and feet kicking shouting “Memaw! Memaw!” As I hurried to open the door, and release her seat belt, setting her free to leap into my open arms, she would give me a really tight hug and whisper, “Memaw, I missed you!”
Wow! Grandchildren are so wonderful. How my heart leaps each time I greet any of my nine exceptional grandchildren. There is something special about the way her eyes light up when my four year old, red headed Ella Tays runs to greet me and says, “I’ve got lots of hugs and kisses just for you! I’m just full of ‘em!” My spirit rejoices as we dance around and welcome each other into our own little personal “circle of love.” A place where no one else exists except us and our joy at being together at last!
Some times when I’m attempting to have a ‘quiet time’ with the Lord, it is quite dry. I read my regular Bible reading, then I read a devotion out of my old faithful Streams in the Desert, but nothing seems to penetrate my spirit and cause my heart to REALLY turn toward Him. And then it happens! A word, a song, a thought! He appears in my spiritual realm, and my heart suddenly leaps with the knowledge of His presence! I run to him as he unbuckles the ‘seat-belts’ that hold me back from him and we embrace in a hug. Then I hear Him whisper, “I missed you.” Suddenly I realize that it is I who have been away. It is I who have buckled myself into my expectations, my routines and stress over tasks to be accomplished. I have forgotten that He is just a whisper away. Forgotten the great joy of our spiritual hugs. Forgotten the excitement of experiencing our own personal ‘circle of love’ where no one else exists. Just the two of us, together at last! “He has lots of hugs and kisses! He’s just full of ‘em! ” And they are all for me!
The Lord has allowed me to experience the wonderful joy of grandchildren to give me a glimpse of His joy when I run to him, when I look up and see his fingerprint in my life unexpectedly, and I shout “It’s you, Father! I’ve missed you!” Together at last! What a wise wonderful loving Father he really is! And He’s waiting for you!
