Dry Nights and a Delighted Father

Mikayla has now spent two out of the last three nights dry in her big-girl undies!

She also today did some long-awaited serious business in her potty, if you know what I mean.

I know that a two and a half year old going #2 in her potty and staying dry overnight don't sound like very lofty things, they do cause me to reflect on a spiritual parallel.

Stay with me.

Our God delights in the good obedience of His children. As we heard today in worship, His reward of our obedience is still a gift of grace. Our best works are yet stained with sin, and gain us no ground before a just and holy God. But if I, a fallen, imperfect momma, experience real joy when I see my daughter finally reach a simple, yet important, milestone...does our Lord, who loves us perfectly, somehow display the heavenly equivalent of clapping and jumping up and down in the blue bathroom when He helps me make a breakthrough in my sanctification?

I don't mean to sound flippant. What I mean is that I clapped and jumped out of sheer exuberance because I couldn't not celebrate with my daughter. The joy on her little face! So I have to think that God, our tender Father, perhaps when He sees me overcome a temptation that previously brought me low, experiences a genuine and overflowing joy to see my obedient response.

This is still within the bounds of grace, as my obedience only results from His Spirit at work in my life, and that after He drew me to Himself in Christ. Perhaps the analogy holds up, if the comparison is with my persistent teaching and discipline as I have encouraged Mikayla to obey me. So when she does obey, whether it is using the potty or finally staying in her bed, I could pat myself on the back for a parenting job well done. But I am usually far more focused on her role in obedience, that she has finally internalized and responded to our teaching.

So God of course realizes that we could not obey without His help, but perhaps His delight comes from seeing us take small, yet meaningful steps forward in our sanctification.

The Christian life takes a lot of work, but it is nice on a Lord's day to really reflect on the frank enjoyment that our Father takes in our progress. Obedience does not merit simply a checkmark on a holy list somewhere, but a tender smile and perhaps loving applause, while His heart dances as mine does over my daughter's accomplishments.

And lest you think I am all smart and meditative today, I accidentally typed "applesauce" instead of "applause". No getting away from the momma brain!

Glory to God though, for His wondrous love! If you are in Christ, then He delights in your obedience, however modest, precious child of God!