THE OTHER CHILD
This is what you call "raw". It is opening myself wide open to share something deeply personal to me.
When one of my children was very young, they were giving me a hard time about taking a nap, imagine that. Kids think naps are punishment -- grown ups think naps are pure pleasure.
I was doing all of the usual "let’s take a nap" build up, complete with back rubs, stories, and making the room dark but not too dark, the child tucked in but not too tucked in, and the teddy held close but not too tight.
It wasn’t working that day. I was getting frustrated. I was tired, I had things to do, and it was naptime. Time to take that nap. The more this child fought it the more frustrated I became. Heck, I was putting myself to sleep, why was this child still awake???
I was tired, I had things to do, and it was naptime. I was getting frustrated.
What happened next was one of two similar defining moments in my life-- moments that change you so much you are never, ever the same after that.
I looked at this child and I could see their eyes clearly even in the semi -darkness of the room. I looked at this child who was frustrating me. I saw them in the dark, but not too dark. I saw them tucked in, but not too tucked in. I saw their teddy in their arms, but not too tight. I saw the little face looking back at me. I saw their eyes. I saw them so clearly, and in those eyes -- right then--- I saw something else so clearly---------------------------I saw God. I saw God.
To say it had a powerful effect on me is a total understatement. It changed me to the soul. It has defined who I am and where my heart lies from that moment until forever. It changed how I view everyone and everything. It changed me to the depths of my soul.
Years later I would sing a duet with my oldest daughter at our church at Christmastime. Some of you know the song, "Mary, Did you know?” I was singing it with my daughter but I knew deep in my heart that I had to sing the verse that goes like this:
"Mary, did you know that your baby boy has walked where angels trod,
And when you kiss your little baby, you’ve kissed the face of God?"
I left it in God’s hands, but I did end up singing that particular line in the song. God had me sing it because I could sing it from a place down deep in my soul. It would touch hearts because it had feeling behind it. Real feeling. I knew of what I sang.
Years after that, I came upon a painting at an auction at Morning Star School where my daughter Leigha was attending at the time. It is a painting by Morgan Weistling titled “Kissing the Face Of God”. Like the defining moment in my life with my child, this painting is powerful in its simplicity. It is a painting of Mary cradling Jesus in her arms and kissing His cheek. Her _expression takes my breath away -- there is such an awe and a humbleness to it. His _expression is one of pure love as He is cradled in this love but also looking heavenward. I was drawn to it the moment I saw it. It is now hanging on my wall as a constant reminder of what my heart already knows.
Yes, I said there were two similar defining moments. The first one was with my child. It happened one other time, with equal depth and equal effect. The first child I saw God clearly in their eyes……………..was mine.
The other child, ……………………………was yours.
May God add His blessing of understanding to the reading of this story.
