gazing

 One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek, inquire for, and [insistently] require: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord [in His presence] all the days of my life, to behold and gaze upon the beauty [the sweet attractiveness and the delightful loveliness] of the Lord and to meditate, consider, and inquire in His temple. 

Psalm 27:4

 

We are coming close to three months with our Ada Rose and we spend much of our time with her just looking at her. Delighting in her contagious smile, speaking with her and watching her simply be. And she returns the gaze. Looking at us and, in some ways, delighting in us. Smiling back at us and lighting up at our faces.

Watch any parent with their baby. Watch how they gaze at one another, delighting in each other, asking for nothing but to look at each other in amazement. To engage in the simple ways the baby is able. 

Soon Ada will be advancing. Rolling, crawling, walking, running, skipping, jumping. She will grow and become more able. And I will delight in her growth. Delight in her dancing and her interests and how quick she can run and how high she can jump and all of these things will bring me delight. 

But, just gazing upon her, looking at her, will be enough. It will be enough to fill me to the brim with delight. Nothing more will be needed.

And all of this brings me back to our Father. He looks at us and he delights in us. We look at him and seeing his goodness and beauty we delight in him. We gaze at one another and it is enough to do only that. 

We can serve and minister and all of these things are good. He is delighted in our work. But, he is just as delighted when we are sitting before him, giving nothing, being nothing but ourselves.

Like Mary at the feet of Jesus. We need not be busy to be delighted in. 

And to delight in him sometimes we must stop the business. 

May we know how delighted in we are. How simply being a child before our Father is enough. And may we still ourselves to look at him, delighting in his face, delighted in us.