Tip of My Iceberg

There’s a winsomeness about those who experience utter delight.

Not jaded, qualified, hesitant or restrained delight. Not at someone else’s expense. Not snarky.

Pure delight. Joyful.

Seventh-month-old Sloane exhibits this. Just watching her makes me smile.

Delight morphs into more delight.

Sloane and her mom, Melody, were here with us for a few days. She’s quite the character, crawling everywhere, curious about everything. Most anything and anybody produces a smile on her face.

Food has a unique effect on her. She becomes downright jolly.

She’s been eating solid foods for just over a month. Being first-time parents, Chris and Mel are blending their own food from the real stuff, making sure she gets nothing with sugar or preservatives in it.

Nana can’t give her Fruity Pebbles.

She doesn’t need sugar. Her ability to find excitement in avocados and butternut squash is awe-inspiring.

As Mel fed her, Sloane saw the food coming from a ways away. Opened her mouth. Wide.

Really early.

She’d stay in mouth-open position for quite awhile, especially if Mom got distracted. She’d lean in, open a little wider, and growl.

You don’t mess with this child’s food.

You can tell when she’s not fond of what’s in her mouth. The grin goes, the eyes darken and the food stays pretty much at the end of her tongue.

Apart from her food, her toys are also held in high regard. Put things on the floor for her to crawl to and chew on, and you see a light bulb go on behind her eyes. She giggles as she moves towards them, new treasures for her to discover. Even though she’s played with them countless times.

As I watch Sloane, it’s the attitude of delight I see. It hasn’t been tainted by disappointment, pain, unmet expectations or personal demands.

Those will all come at some time. For now, her limited experience shines a beam of light on new adventures and older understandings.

With knowledge and experience comes the understanding that things in this life can hurt and disappoint me. I’m more reticent about approaching new situations because I’ve no guarantee they’ll turn out like I want them to.

Sloane doesn’t hesitate. Her youth and lack of experience give her an unending sense of anticipation.

Which is how God sees each of us. Even though He knows what we’re really like.

His sense of joy in His creation is huge. He delights in us as individuals; we’re made by Him purposefully with tenderness and a plan. Those who know Him as a personal God, vitally involved in life, can experience His joy no matter what our circumstances. Whether we’re arguing with Him, doubting Him, intentionally choosing something we know He’d rather us not do, He’s still with us. Still loving us. Still delighting in us.

Hard to grasp when I know my delight in others is often grounded in how I think they feel about me and I feel about them.

Those who don’t know and haven’t experienced this gracious love from a holy God are invited to come. Seek Him out. See if He isn’t all He’s promised He is.

He’ll delight you with His response.

You’ll be delighted with the gift of grace.