Communication

In the whirlwind that describes our life these past two months, only recently have we been able to sit back and reflect. By reflect I mean having enough time to share a thought or two with Elizabeth before we are running off to help one of the kids with something or chasing our oldest running circles around the yard!
Elizabeth and I are both very talkative people. I think it is fair to say that we both would be described as chatty. During college it was often joked among my friends that they didn't like to walk around campus with me because I talked to everyone I knew along the way. I didn't just slow down my pace, share a quick hello, and move on. It was a stop and talk for five to ten minutes.
One of the things Elizabeth and I shared with each other this weekend deals with communication and newborns. Since both Elizabeth and I are talkative people, we have found having a newborn difficult in that regard. Obviously we don't expect a newborn to be talking sentences and quoting G.K. Chesterton but any sort of response, eye contact, movement, or noise we really respond to. We respond so well because we know communication is happening and a relationship is in the making. Communication is ideal for relationships to develop and grow and we are just coming out of a time where I know I was frustrated more times than I'd like to admit because of no communication between my son and I. I longed for just a response to when I would talk to him or a simple movement acknowledging communication was happening. This was plain hard for me. It makes me sad that I can't communicate with my son yet. I don't want to rush things but with that said I am still not proud that I was frustrated and sad when I was. Of course I couldn't expect a newborn to communicate the way I wanted right? Maybe I did expect too much. Either way, I learned something in this process. What hit me like a ton of bricks is that I do little to no communicating to my heavenly Father.
I love the way our lives here on earth are reflections in how life is in the invisible realms. In the way I communicate with my son and he with me, prayer is the way we communicate to our heavenly Father and He to us. I realized that I am very immature in regard to prayer. What makes matters worse, I have the ability to communicate my feelings, thoughts, desires to my Father but I don't. By this comparison, my son is more mature than me because at least Emmett is trying to communicate! Most of the time I don't even try to communicate with God. Because I can read and understand ancient theology or memorize some scripture passage I convince myself that I am moving on to maturity in spiritual life. In spiritual reality, I am only a newborn not able to communicate to my Father.
In the way I have been frustrated and saddened with lack of communication with my son, I am willing to bet God feels the same sadness with me, His son, doesn't communicate with Him. I get so excited and it completely makes my day when Emmett makes a noise or moves around in excitement. Even more so, when I say something to him and he coos or makes a movement in response I absolutely love it! He doesn't even have to "say" anything. He doesn't have to say deep thoughts in dissertations about the meaning of life. All he does is simply coo or move and I am ecstatic! Emmett only communicates in the ways he knows and I am overjoyed. Maybe I too need to take a lesson from Emmett and just share, however I can, with my Father. It doesn't have be extravagant (i.e. Matthew 6:7) just honest and heartfelt commensurate with my ability. This pleases the Father the most. To be in relationship with me is pleasing to him. With Emmett, his honest heartfelt communication to his father commensurate with his ability is so pleasing to me. I love being in relationship with him.
We are now at a point with Emmett where he is responding and telling us things more and more everyday. This makes me so happy. There is no feeling like it. It only gets better from here. Our relationship is growing and will continue to do so. Glad you are in my life Emmett!