A number of years ago, on a beautiful warm spring day, my wife was in the kitchen putting the finishing touches on supper. Her day had been long and tiring. Our daughter burst into the hot, percolating kitchen. It wasn’t her first burst! She had repeatedly slipped into the kitchen just to be around her mom.

    There were no earth shattering needs. She wasn’t hurt. There were no pressing emergencies or great demands. She just wanted to be near. “I need some ‘tention (attention),” as she put it. Her interruptions were childish ones. Her need, however, was significant to her mom!

    Even the most patient moms reach their limits during supper so it was suggested that our daughter go play in the yard till supper was ready. “That’s a great idea,” she said, as she flew out the door.

    Of course, it wasn’t long till she bounced in with a handful of wilting buttercups for mommy to put in water. A few minutes later, in she flew again. This time she was stuttering with excitement. She had forgotten to tell mommy about the huge, scary bee she had seen on the flowers. Ten minutes later, just as we were getting ready to eat, in she bounced again. This time she held up her crayon drawing. It was done in the “Early Preschool Impressionistic” motif—you know, “Wow! That’s beautiful, what do you call it?” stage.

    As my wife stirred gurgling pans of food, put vegetables into serving bowls and ice into glasses, she managed somehow to maintain eye contact, keep up with the conversation and look at the beautiful work of art!

    In the picture was a house. There were also flowers. Then there was a huge bee. The bee was bigger than the house and the flowers combined! Down in the bottom were loops, scratches and a heart: “Look, it says ‘I love you mommy’” our little angel declared. Bowls were put down, preparation came to a stop, and as she gathered our daughter in her arms and gave her a big hug and kiss, she said: “I love you too!”

    God used this moment to reveal something of himself to me. You see, my wife didn’t tell our little girl, “Listen, I’ve got important things to do.” She didn’t say, “Wait a minute, talk to me like an adult or I won’t listen. She never demanded, “Go back and draw your picture in the right proportions.” No, for a crucial moment, a moment that may not be consciously remembered but will forever will be etched our little girl’s heart, she was loved and received attention from the most important person in her life!

    God is that way. He doesn’t push us aside because he has more important things to do. He doesn’t make us have to be impressive in our speech so we can be heard by him. He doesn’t ask us to get our problems and our world in the right proportions. In fact, when we come into his presence, he drops everything and gives us his undivided attention: the attention from the most important person in our lives.

    Who could ask anything more of a mother, or from The Father!