My Amazing Grandson

I've had the opportunity to be with my seven month old grandson for the entire week, and it has truly been a blessing. I've watched this amazing little guy as he explores the world around him and experiences things for the first time. It is really amazing just how fascinated he is with everything, and how eager he is to reach out and grab hold of life. He is constantly learning and acquiring new skills. Smiles come easy to him and tears flow freely. His enjoyment or displeasure is registered without words. The filters and hang ups that plague us adults are absent - they simply haven't been learned or acquired yet.

His affect on the adults around him is also fascinating to me. It is amazing to observe the way that his mother and father hold him and talk to him, and how responsive they are to his needs. Likewise, his grandmother has a unique and special way of interacting with the tiny fellow. Unsmiling and uninterested strangers are transformed by his gaze and smile. Finally, I am often dumfounded by my own reaction to my grandson - how much he means to me - how much enjoyment and pleasure he has brought into my life.

Pondering these things makes me wonder about how God must look at all of us. Does God regard us as infantile versions of him/her/itself? Does God derive enjoyment and pleasure from our exploration and learning about the world around us? Does God have to resist the urge to do everything for us? Does God have to force him/her/itself to allow us to try and experience new things - things that God may know that we won't like or need? Is God affected by our smiles and tears? Does our laughter provoke laughter from him/her/it? How does that feeling of love and concern that wells up in us toward our little guy compare with what God feels for us? Is God concerned with our sometimes apparent self-absorption and indifference to him/her/it, or is God completely satisfied with watching us grow and changing our dirty diapers when the occasion demands it?