| Reflection: |
I'm a mom; it's my vocation, my joy, my self. Every day, I see my son grope about: Why won't this thing work? How many times can I repeat this phrase before mama shushes me? Is there any way I can get a cookie? I sometimes wish that I could simply bestow all of my accumulated knowledge on my son to save him the pain and frustration, the mistakes and missteps of growing up. But he's not just growing up; he's becoming the person—the child of God—who he's going be. If I could give him my judgment, my temperament, everything I know, wouldn't he be... well, me?
As painful as it can be, my little boy needs to grapple with his parents, life, and even with God. Growing in faith is not simply knowing the words to "Jesus Loves Me" or the Lord's prayer. The beautiful gifts of song, prayer and scripture guide us along our spiritual journeys. We probe the meaning behind the words. We look for God's presence in our lives. We examine how our experiences fit into the context of God's world. We listen for the word of God. We search for God.
God loves us and wants us to know God. At times we stumble around and stub our spiritual toes, struggle, wonder, question, and maybe even despair. It stinks sometimes.
Then I see the joy illuminate my son's face: "I did it!" He giggles and dances and beams and pumps his fist in the air. "Yeah, baby!" (He got that from Elmo.)
God is great. |