Living Monstrance

I was recently visiting friends who have two children.  It is beautiful and amazing to see children grow into their own personalities.

After we all had dinner together, we went into the living room and their little daughter Maura began to show us all how she can now write.  She took her seat in the little toy desk in the corner of the room, took up a marker into her little hand and, singing, began to write something.  Her father called over, “You can hold the marker like a pen.”  When I looked over, I noticed that she was holding the marker like a hunter holds a spear.  “She must be scribbling,” I thought to myself.

Her parents and I went back to our adult conversation.  In the middle of this, Maura came running over to show me what she had written.  To my surprise, she had written her name twice in large letters, in perfect penmanship.  A closer look revealed that it was traced.  “Wow.  Lemme see.”  I took off my glasses and crossed my eyes.  “What does it say?”  “It says Maura!” she exclaimed with a laugh.  Jumping in joy, she ran back to her desk.

I turned back aside to adult conversation and said to her parents chuckling, “I thought she was just scribbling,” thinking it was safe from her ears.

When she got back to her desk she sat down to write some more and said aloud, “And you thought I was just scribbling.”

We all laughed.  Her mother looked at me and said,

“She listens to everything.”

Maura has her parents’ name.  She loves them with her whole heart.  She lives in her parents’ house.  Her whole life depends on them for everything.  She listens to everything.

“Your words were found and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart; for I am called by your name, O LORD, God of hosts.” (Jer 15:16)

If you are called by the Lord’s name, if you want to love Him with your whole heart, to live in His house and rely on Him for everything, them imitate Maura.

Listen to everything.