A few months ago I shared how my little daughter aids me in the hermeneutical task. Yesterday I reflected some more on this. Every morning when Lollie wakes Tayla, our little daughter dashes towards our room, jumps unto the bed and cuddles close to me. It’s hard to tell you what this coming-towards-me does to my heart. It is amazing! Every morning her action has forced me into a liturgy of jumping into my Father’s arms as well.

When Lollie and I woke on Tuesday we were greeted with giggling from Tayla’s room. For ten minutes she mixed an occassional laugh with a joyous uttering of “Dis lekker”. It is Afrikaans for “this is fun”. Lollie and I thoroughly enjoyed being spectators of her pleasure. When Lollie entered her room she found that she was playing with her soft toy. This also helps me to understand how God feels when I’m having good fun; my pleasure definitely gives him pleasure as well. I think this is something we should remind ourselves of. I think it was Luther who said that God desires for our lives that He can eventually say to us “Your will be done”.

I share two more insights into the rhythms of Tayla that illuminates the Scriptures for me. On Monday I spend two hours with Tayla in the early mornings, then Martha takes over and continues the playing. On Monday after I took a shower I stayed in the room in order to read. With my door closed I could clearly hear the sounds of them playing. Every now and then Tayla would say to Martha “Pappa sien”, “I want to see my daddy”. In Isaiah there is a wonderful text that says that ‘God will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You.’ Once again Tayla helps me in my hermeneutics; I think it pleases God when we’re busy with the play of our work while we’re also growning inwardly “I want to see my Daddy”.

The last incident happened on Wednesday morning. Tayla loves nuts. On Tuesday evening before we bathed her, she asked for nuts. Lollie placed it into a little plastic cup and she ate about half of it. The next morning Tayla spotted the container and continued her grazing. Without me asking she ‘offered’ me a nut. Once again it gave me insight into the movement of God’s grace in my life. He gives me the nuts of gifts, talents, resources and a bunch of other stuff. All the nuts come from Him, yet when we offer it to Him … He goes nuts?

On Tuesday Liam will be joining our home (it might be earlier but Lollie is scheduled for a c-section on Tuesday). I’m so excited for the coming journey!