I'm Right Here!

It's no secret that our life profoundly and permanently changed on a beautiful Pentecost Sunday about two years ago. Our first grandchild, Bailee was born to her very proud parents and her delighted grandparents! Those of you who have experienced this wonder in your life know what I am talking about. For some of the rest of you who have that to look forward to...it is nothing short of amazing!

In no time at all she has captured the hearts of all of her extended family even causing her Auntie Em to move back home from her life over two thousand miles away. All for good reason. This new life brings to us all a new hope; a new take on this life of ours and a fresh sense of purpose and meaning. In the past couple of months, Miss 'B' has started something new. When I or her 'Papa' stop by for a visit, she will come running from wherever she is and say with excitement: "I'm right here"! While sharing this with the rest of the family on a recent vacation, I realized this was not something for Nana and Papa alone.....she does it for everyone who comes in. Through her child's eyes...with the help of plenty of 'doting' as has been earlier established--she thinks she is the one everyone who steps foot in that house has come to see. Precious.

I've been musing on this with delight for some time. This morning, the Sunday liturgy had as the First Reading the story of Samuel from 1 Samuel 3 as he initially begins to hear the call of God...the call he had been born for and was pledged to by his mother before his birth. At first, Samuel thought Eli, the priest and his mentor, was calling him in the night. When he came to the understanding that indeed God was calling him, he responded "here I am, speak for your servant is listening.' Those words took on new meaning to me.

Now, there is nothing in these verses that speaks of an excitement that comes even close to what I hear in Bailee's voice as she 'pronounces' her presence. But I think Samuel had to be fascinated by God's call. Shouldn't we all? Should we all not be in utter delight when we hear the Lord calling on us, or do we close our ears in a manner of 'fear and trembling' wondering what God has in mind for us to do? The Creator of the universe and all that we know in our existence calls to us in love. We dismiss this call in various ways--coincidence; imagination; mind wondering--all based in the fear that this God is calling me out of myself to do what He had in mind for me from even before our birth and I am not who He thinks I am.

If there is anything I would like to accomplish in my life it is this: helping others to understand that if you are a child of the living God, baptized into his Grace, you have nothing to fear from His call. It does not matter where you have been, what you have done or how you have fallen short. That is the story of man. What matters is opening your heart to Him who created you, doted on you and called you for His own.

In this new year, let us embrace our call. Let us answer with a child-like enthusiasm for the grace He has bestowed in calling us sons and daughters, along with a child-like trust that what he asks of us, he will also supply in us. Our sorry world needs more of His laborers--willing, ready and enthusiastic. Let us answer with little Bailee's -- Here I am!