Daddy, Come?

My oldest son's world revolves around his father. "Daddy fix?", "Daddy's coat?", "Daddy's 'tar (guitar)?", "Daddy work?", "Daddy's 'soos (shoes)", "Daddy go?", and a million times every morning before lunch..."Daddy, come?"

Josiah knows that his daddy comes home almost every day for lunch. He will go about his morning routine of playing with his toys, sneaking dried pasta from the pantry, climbing up and down the stairs, upending our boot tray, chasing the dog with his mini hockey sticks and 'loving' his brother. However, numerous times he will stop, look at me and ask, "Daddy, come?" The first few times I tell him "Daddy will be home for lunch", and then as noon hour grows nearer I say "Daddy will be home soon". That gives him enough reassurance to keep on playing.

His longing for his dad is quite adorable and warms my heart. Josiah longs for his dad's return for a number of child-like reasons...wrestling, laughing, playing, singing, guitar playing, jumping, running ("fast" as he likes to say...) and watching Handy Manny together. But mostly just to be with his dad.

I wonder if God longs for us to have the same excitement for Jesus' return? Do we long to see what delights God, in His creative power, has waiting for us in heaven? Do we anticipate the music that will accompany God's glory? Do we look for the day when we will see loved ones who have gone before us? Do we imagine what it will be like to be free of every pain, worry and fear? Do we long to be with Jesus and finally see Him face to face?

John 14:1-3 says; "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may know where I am."

I can learn a great lesson from my son. As much as he loves to play and go about his busy day, thoughts of his daddy coming home are never far from his mind. As an adult, I can definitely get caught up with laundry, dinner, work, schedules, husband and kids...but how far away are my thoughts on Jesus' return and eternity?

1 Thessalonians says that His return is something that we can encourage one another with.

"For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore, encourage each other with these words (NIV)."

So, be encouraged. Jesus, come? Soon!