Shoes Off

Shoes have an implication of transition and travel. Even my oldest son understood the transitory nature of shoes when he was only two. I had popped my head through through the door into his bedroom to see what he was up to. At the time, I was a new father and ,by nature, a very distracted guy and I was not real good at the whole "daddy" thing yet ( and I still haven't arrived). I was just wanting to check in on him and was probably also trying to relieve a guilty conscience because I hadn't spent a lot of time with him that day. But my little Braden called my bluff. "Daddy, take your shoes off! Sit down and play with me." I can't effectively communicate how those words sounded coming out of a two year olds mouth but in all of their infinite cuteness they struck me with the force of a cuddly sledge hammer. I knew what my boy was saying. He was telling me that a "fly by visit" was not enough and as long as I had my shoes on, I wasn't there to stay. My initial response was to go to my room and weep because he had ripped my heart out with his tender request but instead I did exactly what he asked. I took my shoes off and sat down and played with my son for a long time.

As I have thought about my sons precious words, I think he was speaking a great truth about the time we spend in all of our relationships including our relationship with God. So many times I find my self "popping in" to say hello to God and to relieve a guilty conscience for not having spent more time with Him and during the short time that I am there, I have my "shoes on" as I am thinking about all of the things that I have to do or places I have to be. As a father, I wonder how I would feel if my son treated his time with me the same way that I had treated my time with Him?

I know that God is God but He is also a father who has made himself vulnerable to His children.  In Exodus, God tells Moses to take his shoes off at the burning bush...I wonder if the modern translation of God's words to Moses might sound something like this... "Son, because I'm here, You are in a holy place and a holy moment. Won't you take your shoes off and stay a while? I want to be with you"..